Springbank 12 Year (1989) Rum Wood
Whisky: Springbank 12 Year (1989) Rum Wood
Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown
ABV: 54.6%
Cask: Rum Finish
Age: 12 Year (Distilled 1989, Bottled April 2002)
Nose: Maritime and tropical with citrus, tobacco smoke— slightly mentholated, copper batteries, and saltwater taffy— or banana flavor Laffy Taffy specifically.
Palate: Medium-bodied, maritime and clean, coconut and tropical citrus with wispy smoke and copper batteries; herbal liqueurs and cough medicines appeared toward the end with caramelized bananas.
Finish: Medium-length with tropical citrus, banana, and a coastal saltiness.
Score: 7 (84)
Mental Image: Candy Shop Staff on Smoko
Narrative & Notes: Maritime and tropical, like strolling along the smoking section of a coastal boardwalk to find a renowned candy shop. Standing in line for banana flavored Laffy Taffy with salty sea breezes and tropical citrus fruit in the air— the aroma of tobacco and occasionally menthol broke things up with a bit of spoiled copper batteries. Medium-bodied, the palate was maritime and clean with more tropical citrus and coconut. Wispy smoke joined rusted iron and copper batteries as metallic and mineral notes collided over salty sea foam. Herbal heather and liqueurs arrived at the end, almost more cough medicine than saltwater taffy, with tantalizing hints of caramelized bananas and fried bread. The finish was medium-length with tropical citrus, bananas, and a coastal brine.
I initially tried this at a 1989-themed whisky tasting and did not think much of it. It was more to my taste than the first couple of whiskies, but it felt oddly reserved and incomplete. That was not the case at all when I revisited it at home a week later. The fruits carried a new intensity and depth on the palate with more structure and punch to everything.
I love a good whisky tasting, but I sometimes the noise, especially if things get chaotic, can make it hard to focus. That is why I love it when I can return to a whisky at a later date, sit with it in the quiet of the early evening, and see if things have changed. Often they do not feel radically different, but every once in a while you get a whisky like this which just seems brighter and more expressive.
Overall, I enjoyed this thoroughly, though I will likely never see it again.
