Springbank 9 Years Old Local Barley 57.7% 2007

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (91)

2017’s 11yo was excellent, yet not totally stellar in my book (WF 88). This one might be too young, let’s see…

Colour: pale gold.

Nose: it’s a Longrowy Springbank. Medicinal smoke and all that, mentholated limoncello, aspirin tablets, lemon squash, chalk and clay, scoria, clams and oysters, seawater… With water: totally wet dogs (apologies, dogs) and discarded clothes. Damp mud, damp cardboard, old piece of rag… How lovely!

Mouth (neat): sweet Vishnu, I love this! And believe me I’d have loved to hate it. Some kind of medicinal, mineral lemons, something ‘industrial’, leatherette, some ink, rotting tangerines, salts, Sprite (I know, I know)… Or how a combination of the ugliest flavours can create something wonderful, it’s almost as if David Cronenberg did the distilling - and the blending. With water: f***k it all.

Finish: long and extremely chalky and medicinal.

Comments: believe me I was having my loaded (virtual) guns on the tasting table, but this LB’s been faster. Now I hate it that a ridiculous 9 yo whisky would be this good. Kshhh, kshhh…

Words of Whisky (91)

:

Nose: Very rich and full-bodied. Hints of tar and kerosene, with a whiff of bonfire smoke. It’s not all hell and brimstones though, far from it. There’s a honey-like sweetness, accompanied by cookie dough and sprinkles of lemon zest and grapefruit, as well as a subtle maritime influence. Becomes more minerally (is that a word?) with time.
Taste: Heavy and oily, with a big initial hit of lemon zest and lime, as well as pink grapefruit. Whispers of nectarines too. Followed by some brine and soft peat smoke, as well as a hint of menthol. So, so good.
Finish: More of the above. Long.

Score: 91

Fruit juice with Springbank smokiness. This can’t come as a surprise, but they really are doing something right in Campbeltown.

BOW (91)