Springbank 31 Years Old Murray McDavid Cask MM 1314 46% 1967

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (93)

Colour: gold.

Nose: one of my favourite kinds of start, similar to when you just open a beehive (minus the stings). A marvellous combination of beeswax, all-flower honey and various kinds of resins. Add to that quince jelly, marmalade, a certain maritimeness, mango chutney, old books, a little patchouli and maybe ‘ideas’ of caraway seeds and you get a truly fantastic nose. After a few minutes: more pine resin, which is wonderful. Maybe even a little absinth, wet earth, shoe polish…

Mouth: firm, smoky, earthy and spicy at first sips, and then lushly jammy and fruity. Mirabelle pie, quince jelly once again, drops of cough syrup, liquorice, touches of Fernet Branca (comes from wood), a little pu-erh tea… Not whisky, a true story that you cannot – and shouldn’t, in any case – rush.

Finish: the spices get louder and that’s normal. More marmalade and something tropical as well. Oranges, cumin. Slightly bitterish aftertaste, on Kräuterlikör, as our German friends say. Comments: just wonderful, a true friend for your evening. A ta santé.

BOW (93)