Springbank Sherry Wood 17 year old is a release from January of 2015 that was aged in sherry butts, refill sherry butts, and hogsheads, so it has an interesting balance that is somewhat atypical for a Springbank.

Yes, the signature character is present in the whisky, due to being floor malted by hand in Campbeltown, as well as being aged in dunnage warehouses, but there’s an interesting twist on the theme.

When compared with quite a few Glendronach Single Cask releases in my cabinet, the Springbank is laid back and pleasantly industrial. On the nose, a “dried grassiness” wafts up, which almost harkens back to a classic Lowland whisky from decades ago.

Contrary to what one might expect, judging by the name, this Springer is not a “sherry bomb.” In fact, sherry is not especially prominent on the nose, whereas on the palate the sherry influence is quite well-balanced, offering a complex trade-off with the peppery influence of oak hogsheads – which are half the size of sherry butts, and thus far more interactive.