Springbank 16 Year (2000), Cadenhead’s Warehouse Tasting Cask 840
Whisky: Springbank 16 Year (2000), Cadenhead’s Warehouse Tasting Cask 840
Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown
ABV: 51%
Cask: ex-Lammerlaw New Zealand Whisky Barrel
Age: 16 Years (Distilled 24 Nov. 2000, Bottled 2017)
Nose: Citrus and sea with soft lemon and coastal brine, subtle minerals, coconut oil and beach bronzers maintained the coastal focus with dried grass and sunbaked dunes, hints of copper and an earthy funk in the background.
Palate: Medium-bodied, oily and bright, crisp citrus with orange, clementines, and calamansi; mellow metallic notions of copper or iron, wispy charcoal smoke, chalk, coastal brine and dried grass, charred wood and a moderate bitterness toward the end.
Finish: Medium to long with wispy smoke, drying wood, and mild citrus pith.
Score: 6+ (80)
Mental Image: Beach Bar Morning Shift
Narrative & Notes: Crisp and oily, I loved the interplay of beachy citrus and a metallic bite— even if it sometimes reminded me of orange juice in a metal thermos. The flavors were moderately complex but fairly well-defined, with lovely variations in the type of citrus that came forward. Wispy smoke was generally absent on the nose but became a critical through-line for the palate and finish. The only real defect was the woody bitterness toward the end, almost like charred wood or charcoal dust, which lingered on the slightly drying finish. I do not usually mind bitterness; I seem more up for it than most, but that note stuck out like a sore thumb here and not as well-integrated with the rest of the flavors.
Overall, good and pleasant to sip on. Every once in a while, I come across a whisky where I find myself almost certain that if I owned a bottle and had time to sit with it for a couple of years, I would score it higher. This was one of those times. It was pleasant sipping across a few nights, but I wondered if some of those bitter notes might fade with time.
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
