Springbank 13 Year (2008), Distillery Cage Bottle Rotation 165
Whisky: Springbank 13 Year (2008), Distillery Cage Bottle Rotation 165
Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown
ABV: 56.4%
Cask: Claret
Age: 13 Years (Distilled 25 June 2008, Bottled 28 July 2021)
Nose: Wispy smoke, cotton candy, medicinal herbs, spearmint, nutty, dried grass, earth, slightly meaty at times— tangy and vinegary at others, spirited and youthful.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, oily, sweet, molasses, citrus, cotton candy, nutty, medicinal herbs, sour apples and sagebrush, tangy and peppery.
Finish: Medium-length with mellow fruits, pepper, and chalky Valentine’s Day candies.
Score: 5 (75)
Mental Image: Cockatiel’s Birthday Mystery Box
Narrative & Notes: Wispy acrid smoke and cotton candy opened up to dank medicinal herbs and spearmint. More hazelnut, hay, and dried corn cobs lingered further in, like putting together a treat box for a spoiled bird. Hints of charred grass and earth arrived, occasionally meaty like grilled bison burgers, but otherwise slightly tangy and vinegary with some youthful, spirited heat. Medium to full-bodied, oily, and bursting with big, bold flavors— molasses and oranges pulled in with hazelnut spread, cotton candy, and a handful of minty medicinal herbs. More sour apples kicked into gear with earth and sagebrush carrying toward a tangy and peppery finale. The finish was medium-length with mellow fruits, pepper, and chalky Valentine’s Day candies.
I initially tried this blind and, as I found it rather wild and untamed with some unusual tangy sour qualities, I guessed it was a young American single malt. The wispy smoke on the nose, which only appeared fleetingly around the edges on the palate, led me to think it could have been one of the Southwest distilleries that smoke their malt with mesquite wood.
I was way off— considering the amount of Springbank I reviewed in 2024, I am mildly surprised I did not even get close on this one. This was a wild malt with a series of odd flavors that never really came together in an entirely enjoyable fashion. I can see the influence of the claret maturation all over this, but Springbank’s distillery character felt lost outside of the aroma.
Overall, one for the cabinet of curiosities and sharing with friends.
