Field Briefs: Springbank Preview Tasting
As part of our experience at Springbank we were treated to lunch at the Washback bar with a preview tasting of upcoming distillery releases. While they gave some general release dates, I paid no attention to them as I do not expect to see any of these products reach out local shores. Suffice to say, they were planned for sometime later in 2024 and if any were planned for early 2025 I completely missed it. Considering how rarely I see any Springbank products, it was a treat to be among some of the first to try these releases.
Whisky Details: Springbank 12 Year Cask Strength, 56.2% (Batch 26?)
Nose: Red fruits and orchard fruits with leather belts and copper top batteries— Batman doing some apple picking? More orange marmalade, lamp oil, and sooty oil lamp housings with time.
Palate: Medium-bodied with wispy smoke, copper top batteries, mellow fruity marmalade, heather, motor oil, charred wood, and more heather with dried grass toward the end.
Finish: Medium-length with nougat and smoke among dried fruits and roasted nuts— a premium trail mix.
Score: 6-7 (80)
Mental Image: Orchard Excursions
Narrative & Notes: For this release of the 12 Year cask strength, the master blenders at the distillery, insofar as they exist as we were told no one actually has that title, composed this release from 60% ex-bourbon casks, 35% sherry, and 5% of rum casks— just a dash for some character. Springbank has had rum casks for ages, but it was relayed that they have been using them more often lately as the market for other casks has become tighter and more expensive.
This release of the 12 Year was remarkably gentle for a cask strength whisky, with a mild sweetness and plenty of classic Springbank metallic, heathery, and maritime notes. I enjoyed this, but I was not really enamored with it. Most of our group ranked it near the bottom of the tasting, though everyone found it pleasant and enjoyable. It was lovely to see classic distillery notes stand out so well from the mix of casks.
Whisky Details: Springbank 10 Year Amontillado, 55%
Nose: Roasted ham and pineapple, dry and mineral with a mellatic copper tinge, dried fruits and cured meats on a well-oiled wooden cutting board; Spanish ham, acorn jelly.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied and tannic with lacquered wood and stone fruit pits, dried apricots, prunes, dates, sun-dried vanilla beans, wispy metallic smoke, mustier over time with a touch of dunnage.
Finish: Long and drying with lingering apricots and woody fruit pits.
Score: 7 (83)
Mental Image: Premium Lunchables in the Dunnage
Narrative & Notes: This worked quite a bit better than I expected! I have probably had more misses than hits from amontillado casks, and big cask-driven profiles are rarely to my taste. Yet, I thought this struck a beautiful balance between the core fruits and a savory meaty quality lingering around the edges. It was a touch woody for my taste and fairly tannic with a drying quality to the finish, but never offensively so. I wished a bit more of the meatiness on the nose came through on the palate with had more of the sweet fruits and woods taking center stage. Overall, not my jam, but still quite lovely.
Whisky Details: Longrow 18 Year, 2024? Release
Nose: A slice of sachertorte— luxurious rich chocolate, fudge, pecans, and dark fruit jams; brown sugar and malty buttery pastry crust, chocolate ganache, more subtle grass with time, wispy smoke from smoldering embers.
Palate: Medium-bodied and juicy with cacao nibs and bitter chocolate, mineral tinged smoked, jammy fruits with a touch of cinnamon, more grass clippings and musty earth over time; water brought out more bright berries and calmed the otherwise peppery spirit quality.
Finish: Medium to long with fruity marionberries, chocolate, and a mild earthiness.
Score: 7 (85)
Mental Image: Sachertortes on Display
Narrative & Notes: This was the highlight of the preview tasting with chocolate and fruits accented by mellow smoke. This was not all cask, though it was not far off, as the sherry influence was readily apparent, but not alonem, as the relatively small portion of port casks, only 10%, emphasized the fruitier qualities of the whisky. I still prefer my Longrow in a relatively mild bourbon cask so that the wonderful spirit can really shine through, but this was incredibly quaffable and complex. It was oddly peppery and spirited, especially on the back end, considering the age, but that hardly distracted from its many qualities.
Whisky Details: Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 11?, 57.9%
Nose: Sweet confectionaries, butterscotch, marshmallow bars, nougat, praline cookies, wispy smoke in the background with a touch of medicinal iodine.
Palate: Medium-bodied with salted caramel, cream, wood smoke, Three Musketeers candy bars— chocolate and caramel nougat, pistachio cream cakes, hazelnut spread and candied nuts, hints of tangy pickled fish hid in the background with a touch of salt.
Finish: Medium-length with caramel, earth, and a touch of dry Autumn vegetation.
Score: 6 (77)
Mental Image: Prototyping Candy Bars
Narrative & Notes: This release of the Kilkerran Heavily Peated range featured primarily bourbon maturations with only 10% sherry casks used in the mix. When we first glanced at the bottles we would be tasting, I expected this would be my favorite, yet it ended my least favorite by some measure. While it had elements of the autumn and fall vibes that I love about the whisky, the earthiness present in many of the earlier releases seemed entirely gone. The slightly maritime aspects were a fascinating diversion, but the flavors were oddly sweet and candied, far beyond what I typically enjoy, or what I want from a heavily peated Kilkerran. I may revisit this once it comes out and see if I still feel the same way, but based on this early impression I won’t be running out to find a bottle.
