Springbank 17 Years Old Madeira Wood 47.8% NV

Professional reviews

Whisky Notes (89)

Nose: starts on a sweet and sour theme, Verdelho style. Lemon rind, sour plums, strawberries, walnuts, whiffs of verbena and smoked tea. Ginger cake. Sweet dried fruits in the background. Classic wet sheep wool and engine oil. Mint and furniture polish. A distant balsamic note as well. Quite beautiful.

Mouth: rather fruity actually, with the sweet and sour theme taken further. Plums, oranges, sour cherries, nicely balanced by light caramel. Then a dry leathery note and hints of tea leaves, tobacco, hessian cloth, ginger and something vaguely oriental. Some waxy touches towards the end.

Finish: long, still very balanced, orangey with soft spice. Just some light tannins in the very end.

I really like this one, the Madeira acidity is not entirely classic but works really well alongside the usual Springbank funk. I’ve seen it appear in stores just before the week-end, but as always they’re going really fast.

BOW (89)

Words of Whisky:

Nose: A very clear wine influence. But let’s see. Earthy smoke, minerals, farmyard-y and damp wood with red berries and blackberries. A light candy-esque sweetness balanced by ripe lemon peel and tinned pineapple. Almost lactic at times, like Bruichladdich sometimes has. Even somewhat muddy.
Taste: Sticky and mouthcoating, the classic Springbank profile holds up very well against the Madeira casks. A mixture of bright citrus fruits, beeswax and vanilla custard with caramel, but also soft smoke, hessian and a decent salinity. Finally some spicy touches with a whisper of wet pebbles.
Finish: Long with some fresh strawberries, oak and a touch of charcoal.

Score: 89

At first nosing I was scared the Madeira might be too influential. And while the nose of the Springbank 17 Years Madeira Wood has some peculiarities, it’s a wonderfully complex single malt with classic Springbank qualities.