WHISKY: Springbank 20 Year (1992), Dà Mhìle Cask 231 “The Wedding Edition”

NOTES: The aroma was sour and fruity with atemoya, green mango, dried tangerine peel, old wooden pencils, a soft maritime brine, and old paper. Herbal peppery elements lingered in the background with cucumber and mustard leaf. Light-bodied on the palate with an initial hit of pickling spaces, roasted pumpkin seeds, salt, pewter and metallic qualities, chew tobacco, and pepper. Slightly sour toward the end with green mango and underripe tangerines. The finish was medium to short and slightly sour.

SCORE: 5 (73)

IMAGE: Experiments in Backyard Garden Pickling

THOUGHTS: This was an idiosyncratic whisky with only the barest hints of classic Springbank character. The whisky was from a 1992 lot of organic barley casks that Springbank distilled under commission for Dà Mhìle and John Savage-Onstwedder. He was a major proponent of organic, sustainable farming and old-fashioned techniques well-before their return to broader popularity in the new millennium. This particular cask was bottled for the wedding of his eldest son. While it was not to my taste, it was certainly an interesting whisky and the sort of thing that you want to pour for other people.

WHISKY: Springbank 7 Year (1992), Dà Mhìle Organic

NOTES: Musty dunnage and melons—oh my! Old paints and meaty bacon collided while old socks and powdered donuts lingered in the background. A confounding mix of earth, fruit, malt, and musty-chemical elements. Medium-bodied on the palate with melon, pepper, old paper, musty dunnage, and used hay. More kiwis and subtle tropical elements arrived with time, while a bit of sour butter waited at the end. The finish was medium-length with kiwi skins, pepper, and metallic elements.

SCORE: 6-7 (81)

IMAGE: Guinea Pig Pirate’s Treasure

THOUGHTS: This was more quintessentially Springbank than the first bottle, with plenty of dunnage, fruits, metals, and a bit of brine. It had its eccentricities and oddities, so it felt familiar enough to the twenty year that I could imagine how some of the dirtier elements faded to leave something like that older whisky. Yet, this was by far my favorite of the two, and it was a great testament to the fact that age does not always bring quality and some whiskies are better when they are younger.

WHISKY: Caol Ila 45 Year (1979), Signatory Vintage Cask 7711

NOTES: Grilled saba on the aroma— charred, oily mackerel with slightly sweet shoyu caramelized on top. Resinous and woody with age, lamp oil, burning wicks, cedar planks on the grill with salmon, fried salmon skin, tar, fatty macadamia nuts, and a maritime brine. Medium-bodied on the palate with cigarette butts tossed into beach sand, oily and fatty, macadamia nuts, and maritime brine. More time brought funky herbs, orange peel, salmon skin, motor oil, and dank herbs. The finish was long, drying, and subtle with driftwood, oil slicks, tar, creosote, a touch of brine, and orange oil.

SCORE: 9 (91)

IMAGE: Local Beach and Beer Spot at Night

THOUGHTS: If the last review spoke to the beauty of a young whisky, then this whisky made my head spin— it was a fine example of a dram running wildly in the other direction. I do not often drink hyper aged malts, but this was a treat and, by age, the oldest Caol Ila I have ever had. A friend picked up this bottle for his wedding celebration. It was dirty, maritime, and meaty with plenty of wood— though perhaps not as much as you might expect considering the massive age statement. Truly a special occasion whisky.

WHISKY: Bruichladdich 23 Year (1990), Black Art 4.1

NOTES: Canvas and poached pears, I started in the art studio but went for dessert with vanilla bean, strawberry, cherry, and crème anglaise. Laundry by the sea with a subtle brine, cotton, and fruity florals. Medium-bodied on the palate, the flavors were similar with plenty of fruity summer vibes: cherry, strawberry, sea breezes, black cherry, vanilla, and a touch of creamy yogurt. Old papers, canvas, and number two pencils hinted at the age, but generally lingered in the back. Medium to long on the finish with a kiss of cherry, creamy yogurt, and vanilla.

SCORE: 8 (87)

IMAGE: Breakfast Watching the Linens Dry

THOUGHTS: I have not had a chance to try many Black Art releases, so I cannot really situate this among prior or later releases. The bottle had been open for a while, so I assume a freshly opened one might be a bit crisper or richer on the palate. However, this was no slouch and the flavors were still quite clear and well-structured. It had all the fruits I might expect from the wine and sherry casks favored by Jim McEwan and a bit of the classic creaminess and some of the number two pencils I expect from older Laddie. Overall, a treat— imagine stocking up on these back when they came out!