Whisky: Springbank 30 Year (1993), SMWS 27.114 “It’ll be alright on the Night”

Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown

ABV: 53.7%

Cask: Bourbon Hogshead (25Y), First Fill Spanish Oak PX Hogshead

Age: 30 Years (Distilled 23 April 1993)

Nose: Maritime and peppery with meaty undercurrents and a surprisingly vivid amount of metallic smoke, dried tropical fruits, old wood, roasted onions, and vaguely medicinal herbs.

Palate: Medium-bodied and maritime— brine and metallic smoke arrived with herbal incense, smoked tea, and a touch of wet leather; dried dates and sticky honey pastries faded as dirty shop rags, watch oil, and a tinge of rust developed.

Finish: Very long and lingering with dried fruit, leather, salt, and a kiss of funky white pepper.

Score: 8 (87)

Mental Image: Mudlark on the Barbecue

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was vivid and striking, with a surprising amount of smoke for something so old, and finished for so long in a first-fill sherry hogshead. The cask played an important role, but it never overwhelmed, as plenty of maritime and metallic character developed with a bright pepperiness and musty, almost funky, tropical fruits. There was plenty of old bamboo and wood, no surprise, with the sweet vegetal char of roasted whole onions and teases of medicinal mugwort and herbs.  Medium-bodied and a touch tannic, the palate featured much the same, with the herbal character coming quicker, and with more depth, as smoked tea joined herbal incense and hints of a Chinese medicine shop. Things took a slightly industrial turn toward the end as maritime brine continued with dirty shop rags, watch oil, and rusted iron.  The finish was incredibly long and gentle, reprising many of the same notes but adding a touch of funky white pepper.

This was the kind of bottle that changes and develops significantly after opening— losing some of its intensity but gaining greater complexity and depth. Field reports from the bottle’s owner and other online reviews described it as a closed-off affair initially.  After a few months, it was clear that the cask influence had softened so that the beautiful malt could come through more clearly. I find I need this kind of mellowing period for just about anything, given a potentially aggressive cask finish.

Overall, beautiful. I can hear someone asking, is it worth $2000? Honestly, if you have to ask the question, the answer is almost certainly no. I am definitely asking myself that question any time I have a whisky this expensive, and the answer is consistently no. There are just too many other great whiskies to be had at a fraction of the cost, or even half the cost. But if you can afford it— or splurge on something ridiculous, then why not? I have a couple of silly YOLO bottles; nothing quite on this level mind you, but just the ridiculous sort of thing to pull out on a special occasion or to wow some like-minded whisky friends. It’s a tough sell, even if it was a wonderful whisky.