Whisky: Springbank 12 Year Cask Strength Batch 23

Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown

ABV: 55.9%

Cask: Bourbon

Age: 12 Years (Bottled 8 Sept. 2021)

Nose: Mellow citrus and coastal salinity met orchard fruits and green tea; mint and eucalyptus in the background with heather, wood, and wispy acrid smoke.

Palate: Medium to full-bodied, viscous and oily, sweet melted fruit popsicles, coastal with peppery spirit,  citrusy with a hint of vanilla and pineapple, wood, heather, and chalk; dried grass and lemon-lime toward the end.

Finish: Medium-length and drying; orange, dried grass, and earth.

Score: 6 (78)

Mental Image: Popsicles Turning to Juice under the Sun

Narrative & Notes: I initially tried this blind as part of an online whisky group mystery advent calendar.  A few samples got a bit delayed and became more like a Summer mystery series. The fruity, mellow aroma was followed by a more intense and sugary palate that occasionally veered toward candy or bubblegum but always pulled back to something more like citrusy popsicles and summer delights.  Wood and dried grass hung around the edges, providing a bit of depth to an otherwise pleasant and simple sipper.

I guessed this was some new distillery at about 10 years old and matured in a first fill bourbon cask. It did not quite strike me as anything in particular, and during our last version of this, there were a number of curveballs and new distilleries. Turns out, I should not quit my day job to become a blind whisky guesser (if such a thing could ever exist) any time soon.  This was a recent edition of the cask-strength Springbank 12 Year!

Overall, I guess I am glad I did not fancy this too much— because, boy, these can go for a pretty penny. It was enjoyable but a bit peppery for my taste. The weight of the palate felt like a mismatch between the nose and flavor profile— too heavy at times and missing some depth.