I was placing an order when this sample happened to be in stock so I ordered one. I quite enjoyed the 10, but found it a bit hard to come around on the 12 Cask Strength (the batch I had, anyway). Still, I was very excited for this and finally had some time to sit down with it.
Minutia: I’m not sure if this is cask strength as the label doesn’t seem to say that, but with an outturn of 294 bottles it doesn’t really seem like they stretched out the spirit with water. Also, the .2% difference relative to their usual is odd. It is a single cask, however, and that cask was a Sherry hogshead. It spent 24 years in that cask after distillation in December 1994 and was bottled in April 2019. The sample was expensive for a sample and the bottle quite expensive, even for a single cask. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.
Color: Mahogany, 1.6.
Nose: Wow, rich, deep, winey aroma, a bit smoky, strawberry, honey.
Taste: Thick, classic Springbank, very ramped up fruit quality.
Finish: Ashy Springbank malt, dry, long. It’s a finish that makes you unsure of whether to have another sip because you either can’t wait to have more or don’t want to interrupt the finish.
Absolutely delightful. This reminded of the 12 minus whatever stopped me from adoring it. This might have actually been worth the high price (depending on what it was sold for). The only price I’ve seen recently is for just shy of $1,000, which is insane, but it is good enough where I can see someone thinking it’s practical and listing it for that. I’m sad this is gone.
Score: 93
Musical Evocation: Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson - "Ég á líf"
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