Whisky: Springbank 24 Year (1999), Westie Sponge No. 3

Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown

ABV: 54.5%

Cask: First Fill Sherry Butt

Age: 24 Years (Distilled 1999, Bottled 2024)

Nose: Barbecue meats and hot grills with brown sugar, herbs, meat, caramelized fats, campfire, coffee.

Palate: Medium-bodied, rich, swimming pool chemicals and leather, coffee, meaty with glazed ham, barbecue spices, brown sugar, rich fruits and leather.

Finish: Long with coffee, cloves, and leather.

Score: 8 (89)

Mental Image: Country Swimming Pool

Narrative & Notes: A mixed sampler plate of barbecued meats lay before me—burnt ends, brown sugar sauce, caramelized tomato paste, paprika sausages, fennel, pork belly, and crispy skin. More campfire and instant coffee hung in the background with hints of licorice and chicory— companionable accents to the pervading meatiness.  Medium-bodied and rich with tons of swimming pool chemicals, leather, instant coffee, and sweet brown sugar glazed ham. The wife reckoned it was barbecue baked beans with the caramelized sugars, rich spices, and more subtle meaty bacon. Rich fruits lingered around the sides, but always returned to a plum barbecue sauce and leather.  The finish was long with instant coffee, cloves, and leather.

Dangerous fare— I hesitated to even pour this dram knowing how upset I was going to be if I loved a thousand dollar bottle. I finally gave in since the wife and I were visiting Springbank this year. I have done my best to get better acquainted with its namesake malt, a product I hadn’t exactly ignored in the past, but had rarely tried due to the hype and expense of doing so.  Who wants to fall in love with something difficult to chase down? Well, at least we brought back a fair number of bottles from the distillery.

I have had a few Springbank bottled by Decadent Drinks before and they were fabulous, so no surprise that this was up to the challenge.  It was meaty and savory with tons of rich barbecue spices and caramelized brown sugar— baked beans with burnt ends. It was delicious.

Overall, a whisky for the summer that brought back memories of poolside barbecues and shifts as a lifeguard.