Springbank 21 Year Old is a widely acclaimed malt. An instant classic, so to speak. It's not cheap, it's true, but every time it's announced, it's a race to get a bottle. If you dally too long, the price rises dizzyingly fast. This release, bottled in 2021, will unfortunately cost you about 600 EUR, which is too crazy top put ino words. The vatting of this most recent release is 35% sherry, 30% bourbon & 35% port!
The nose is immediately blissfully waxy. A cart full of hay, toffee, banana, beach sand in the sun, sultanas, soft peat, hint of strawberry jam, stone fruit in jute bags. Incredibly good and complex nose. It is absolutely not difficult to sit here for ten full minutes smelling this before even feeling the urge to put it on the lips.
But in the end you do, of course, and you are spoilt beyond words. Apricots, peach, strawberry, banana, quince, gooseberry, mango... what a panoply of fruit! And then those typical notes like slate, jute bags and soft camphor. Something of ginger. Something of sweet and sour peat. Something of sea salt. Something of mint. Boy, oh boy, what a party!
The finish is long, smoky and sweet. The smoke clears relatively quickly to leave you with an impression of tropical fruit on the tongue. I am in seventh heaven.
Yes, just sit down for a moment. This is an experience. Thank you for the sample, Maarten!
Comment on @markjedi1's review