Springbank is one of the most sought-after whiskeys in the world. Part of that is that Springbank is one of only three active distilleries in the tiny Campbeltown region of Scotland (a long protrusion off the Scottish mainland in the southwest of the country).
Another reason is that Springbank tends to be… well, really f*cking good, with a peated quality that’s very dialed back; neither a peat-free Highlander nor an Islay peat-bomb of the kind most Scotch drinkers would recognize. Naturally, there’s also the whisky hype machine that tends to puff up anything rare. But trust me when I say that this rare whisky lives up to the hype.
I was lucky enough to visit Campbeltown and Springbank earlier this year and taste through their line. I also saw the very long lines of whisky enthusiasts lining up outside the old brick walls of the distillery for hours, just for a chance to buy a bottle (they do a lot of special one-off releases). So full disclosure, these bottles are neither cheap nor easily findable. That said, I’d argue they’re worth the hunt — or at the very least, they’re worth a pour at your favorite whisky bar.
Below, I’ll be spelling out my tasting notes for each of the core line bottles. I’ll also be ranking each one on how excited they make me and how much I think you should actually track them down. That’s not to say that you should skip some of these, it’s more to say, spend your hard-earned dollars wisely on your Springbank journey. Let’s jump in!
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7. Springbank Local Barley 2022 Edition Aged 10 Years
ABV: 56.2%
Average Price: $1,282
The Whisky:
This is as local as whisky gets. The locally grown Belgravia barley is malted in-house with a little bit of local peat from the Kintyre Peninsula. The whisky is then distilled two and a half times before barreling in used bourbon barrels. Those barrels then rest in the old, moldy warehouses for 10 years before this expression is built and bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Old oatmeal cookies with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon lead to a mix of a malting room floor with sweet barley warming up on your senses next to a hint of sultanas and dried cherry. The palate feels like a vanilla angel food cake drizzled with floral honey and served with a dusting of hot cinnamon and allspice as malty birch water rounds things out. The finish touches on sweet malts and heavily salted caramel.
Bottom Line:
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Springbank tends to be better cut down a little with local spring water. This is very good but a little warm on the mid-palate. It really benefits from the on-the-rocks pour or as a layer in a cocktail.
6. Springbank 12 Cask Strength 2021 Edition
ABV: 55.9%
Average Price: $500
The Whisky:
This is classic Springbank aged for 12 years in old bourbon barrels and then bottled as-is with no proofing, filtering, or coloring.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with old Band-Aids dipped into absinthe and then dipped in bourbon with plenty of vanilla, toffee, and oak present. The palate is very creamy with a lemon meringue pie vibe next to cream soda and a rush of Red Hot spice attached to the malts. The toffee sweetens the mid-palate as the lemon pie takes on a gingery spice before the Band-Aid malts return on the finish with a gentle whisper of fireplace smoke that’s just sputtered out on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This really benefits from a single rock in the whisky glass. The subtly of a few of the expressions below this is kind of blown out by the ABVs, which is me really nit-picking to find a way to rank these.
5. Springbank 15
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $314
The Whisky:
This is made with Springbank’s mildly peated malts and then aged for 15 years in ex-sherry barrels. The whisky is then blended and proofed down with local spring water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This is a funky and savory nose with hints of teriyaki beef jerky next to powdery stock cubes with a hint of smoked brisket fat next to hydrogen peroxide before turning sweet with stewed prunes with a hint of cinnamon and honey. The palate is like a marriage between a nutty and spicy Christmas cake and a low-and-slow brisket with tons of sea salt and fat and a whisper of smoke. The finish arrives with a walnut dark chocolate crumble with minor notes of old leather and fireplace ashes next to a thin line of rocky beach after the rain.
Bottom Line:
This is where the funky-yet-sweet edge of Springbank kicks in. It’s weird but kind of wonderful in how easy-drinking this whisky is. We’re also out of the “on the rocks” portion with this one as well.
4. Springbank 10
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $100
The Whisky:
This is the gateway to Springbank. The single malt is aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks with a 60/40 split respectively in the final blend.
Tasting Notes:
This is smooth as can be with a nose full of bourbon vanilla, dark plums, soft toffee, and a hint of wet forest floor countering a spicy and honeyed maltiness with a hint of sagebrush. The taste feels like an orchard in the summer full of fruit — tart, ripe, sweet, overripe — next to big notes of ground black pepper, apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, freshly ground nutmeg, and plenty of cloves. The finish is subtle and sweet with a good dose of salted caramel next to a whiff of dried peat with a hint of wet straw.
Bottom Line:
This is both great and findable, hence it ranks a little higher. This also makes for a great everyday sipper, or table whisky if you will. It’s both easy going and easy drinking.
3. Springbank 18 2021 Edition
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $576
The Whisky:
Springbank 18 is a 50/50 single malt blend of bourbon and sherry casks. The 18-year-old barrels are masterfully blended, proofed, and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose feels like it’s viscous with hints of thick golden syrup next to a slight earthiness, floral honey, meaty dates, and ginger cake with a caramel icing. The palate meanders through salted black licorice and walnut shells as smoked maple syrup leads to a mid-palate full of ripe and sweet red berries with a hint of the bramble underneath. The finish becomes creamy like a malted chocolate milkshake with pencil shavings and wet BBQ charcoal on the back end.
Bottom Line:
This is funky perfection. It’s familiar yet new. It’s deep yet understandable. It’s really just that good, but also not quite the mountaintop of the brand.
2. Springbank 25 2022 Edition
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $6,500
The Whisky:
This is a very rare whisky aged in 60% sherry casks and 40% bourbon casks for 25 long years. After that juice is touched with a little local water, it’s filled into only 1,300 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a soft marriage between fresh raspberries and subtle rose petals with old cellar beams, cobwebs, and a dirt floor rounding things out, with a whisper of seaside air lurking in between. The palate veers from that nose pretty drastically with hints of rum-soaked overripe bananas next to wet brown sugar, rock candy, and a hint of large salt flakes. The end builds on that saltiness with a rush of malted barley and sweetgrass after the rain.
Bottom Line:
This is just great. It’s kind of a shame it’s so rare but that’s part of the allure.
1. Springbank 21 2021 Edition
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $2,300
The Whisky:
This 21-year-old release is made with 35% sherry cask, 35% port cask, and 30% bourbon cask.
Tasting Notes:
Driftwood and orange cake dominated the nose with a hint of salted caramel covered in creamy dark chocolate with a hint of espresso oil. The palate has a rich creaminess with a mocha latte vibe next to wood varnish, rum-soaked apples stewed in cinnamon and clove (with a hint of anise), and a strong smoked maple bacon fat. The finish is all about that creamy dark chocolate with a hint more of that sweet and smoky bacon fat lingering the longest.
Bottom Line:
This is what Springbank is all about — funky, fun, fascinating. It makes sense, feels familiar, yet takes you on a new journey with every sip. That’s perfection in whisky!
Source: https://uproxx.com/life/every-springbank-single-malt-whisky-ranked/