Springbank 14 Year (2003), Cadenhead’s Warehouse Tasting
Whisky: Springbank 14 Year (2003), Cadenhead’s Warehouse Tasting
Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown
ABV: 57%
Cask: Rum Barrel
Age: 14 Years (Distilled 5 Dec. 2003, Bottled May 2018)
Nose: Sweet and salty maritime breeze, minerals, orange, bruised tropical fruits, mellow cream, background notes of dank dunnage and tropical underbrush, toasted coconut and dried grass.
Palate: Medium-bodied, spirited and spicy, citrus, maritime, dried grass and driftwood, acidic and peppery.
Finish: Medium-length and slightly drying with pithy citrus and peppercorn.
Score: 5-6
Mental Image: Rain on the Beach Trip
Narrative & Notes: The aroma was maritime and pleasant, with the sweet, salty, mineral-laden breeze of the beach on a warm day. Fresh orange juice and bruised tropical pineapples arrived with hints of guava and passionfruit while a mellow cream gestured toward sweet Dole Whip ice cream. In the background were funkier, earthier notions of dank dunnage, tropical underbrush, dried grass, and toasted coconut flakes. Medium-bodied, assertive and spicy, the flavors drifted between sharp citrus, maritime brine, and peppery spirit. Lemon, lime, yuzu, and bruised pineapples popped right away with tingling acidic citrus, while the maritime brine that washed in further accentuated the sharpness of the fruits. More subtle notions of dried grass and driftwood hung in the background as an upwelling of pepper carried through on a citrusy finale. The finish was medium-length and slightly drying with pithy citrus and peppercorn.
The aroma was delightful— a beach holiday with all the fixings for a tropical good time. I do not know what happened on the palate; the spirit felt youthful and unrefined, far more simplistic than the aroma had me expecting. I was surprised at how peppery this was, and it reminded me of a Talisker more than anything. A slightly wild whisky can have a certain charm, though I did not always find the interplay of citrus, pepper, and salt exceptionally pleasant.
Overall, interesting and fun to nose. I was not as big a fan of the palate, but it made for a fun companion pour with other ex-rum Springbank.
About Springbank
Characterful and distinctive; the robust younger spirit transforms into mellow coastal meadows with a soft tropical aesthetic over the decades. Popular and expensive, the high quality of the malt has vastly been outstripped by the secondary prices at which it sells.
The titan of Campbeltown, Springbank Distillery, began operations in 1828 and maintains a lot of old-school tradition in production, from in-house floor malting of barley to a mix of direct oil-fired stills and worm tub condenser. Yet, for a producer with a reputation for an old-fashioned approach to whisky production, the brand has been a trendsetter through its diversification into retail and bottling operations (no surprise that many independent bottling companies now have their own distilleries) and its focus on nurturing its reputation as a single malt.
The current strength of the Springbank brand owes a lot to its visibility as a single malt and its status as a forerunner to the trend among scotch consumers for displays of brand loyalty. Hence, even core products from the distillery sell out quickly and can be hard to find. Production at the distillery can barely keep up with the demand. That will likely continue as the distillery only operated at about 20% in 2020 and only produces about 200,000 liters of Springbank per annum. The barley used for Springbank is malted on site, peated between 12-15 ppm, fermented for ~100 hours, and distilled 2 ½ times.
Style: Maritime, Metallic, Citrus, Subtle Coconut/Tropical Elements
