A hotly anticipated release from the Springbank distillery in Campbeltown, this 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky has been 100% matured in Sherry oak casks and bottled at cask strength. This has resulted in a full-bodied flavour profile rich in dark coffee, Christmas cake and gingerbread, with subtle whiffs of light Springbank peat wafting through. It was unveiled in early 2015 – 9,120 bottles were released.
Region:
Campbeltown
Aroma: Anise; black licorice; dried grass; orange peel; forest loam in a coniferous forest, along with some pine needles
Flavours:Ah, here is the creaminess I’ve been hearing about! Yes, it comes through nicely as a swirling cream sherry note.
Character: The finish is medium in length. I was expecting a longer finish, but one’s mouth is left satisfied.
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.
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