September 14, 2015

Our 11,000th whisky!

That’s right, eleven thousand different whiskies reviewed on little whiskyfun, not to mention a few hundred other spirits.
I’ve been thinking hard while looking for a 11,000th whisky to taste, and settled for Springbank. I guess that’s self-explanatory. Tradition, quality, moderate marketing, style, fair prices, little BS, no made-up stories, no Franklin Mint packaging, no ultra-young oak-doped NAS, and no salesm… I mean brand ambassadors who think they’re Leonardo. Yeah or Heidi Klum … So Springbank meet all requirements in my book. But which Springbanks? Something special for sure… Let’s say our 11,000th will be our favourite amongst these four... (I already know it won’t be the contemporary 15 yo, mind you).

Springbank 15 yo (46%, OB, +/-2014)

We last tried a ‘new’ 15 in 2010, and I have to say that in my little book, it did not quite hold a candle to the 10s, 12s or 18s that were available back then. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s really austere, flinty, earthy and grassy, with a medicinal touch (antiseptic) and wee touches of rubber (a box of bands). I also find a little baker’s yeast and, above all, plenty of chalk. Reminds me of my schooldays. And perhaps a little thyme and parsley. Intriguing, as they say. Mouth: yes, it’s a strange one indeed, and it does remind me of the older 15 from a years back. Very chalky again, kind of fizzy, with plenty of walnut skin, apple peelings, and then orange squash. Something Fanta-ish, I’d say. Tends to become bitter. Fernet Branca at cask strength. Finish: long, dry, still very chalky, and bitterly herbal. The good news is that a little grapefruit’s coming to the rescue in the aftertaste, lifting it a bit. Comments: I’m cursed. Love almost all the others, and I quite like this one, but I’ve got troubles with the 15s. A spell? A matter of numerology? SGP:272 - 80 points.

But that was only the aperitif. Time to have something properly serious to celebrate our 11,000th review. Wouldn’t a little horizontal of 1965s do?

Springbank 27 yo 1965/1993 (46%, OB for the Everest Challenge)

This baby was bottled for a charity bike ride in the foothills of the Himalayas, and the label had been designed by Mary Quant herself! Let’s see if this one will get us high (ooh, full form S.!) Colour: gold, so no deep sherry. That’s cool. Nose: but what a fab spirit! This is going to be a tough race. The first two aromas that spring to my nostrils are ‘old copper pan’ and ‘old beehive’. And what’s stunning is that both notes first mingle together, and then explode into myriads of other aromas, including metal polish, shoe polish, candle wax, honey, dried quinces and dates, raisins and touches of old roses (oriental perfume), limestone and earth… It’s really very complex, but I’d say the leading aroma would be honeydew. Mouth: starts a bit shier and drier, with some tea and tannins, but the honey’s doing a come back, together with several dried fruits, especially dates, figs, and quinces. Quince jelly. The tannins get mellower over time, while more citrusy notes arise, such as crystallised tangerines. Shall I dare adding ‘kumquats’? Nah, not yuzu. Having said that, it’s perhaps not the most Springbanky of all old Springbanks on the palate, but it’s great. Finish: medium, with touches of mint. Raisins, mint, and honey. Comments: excellent, as expected, even if it’s perhaps no massively flamboyant old Springbank like others can be. SGP:561 - 90 points.

Springbank 29 yo 1965/1994 (46%, OB for Miller & Landau, sherry, cask #1298)

To be honest I don’t quite know who Miller and Landau are or were. I’ve tried to google them and could find several options, but nothing that would make us dead sure. Better not write more nonsense than what’s already on this little website. Colour: full gold. Nose: we’re very very close to the ‘Everest’, this one being only rather rounder and fruitier. That means more honey, nectar, sultanas, then oranges and kumquats (there) plus stewed peaches. Rather more menthol too, cough syrup, a box of eucalyptus lozenges (or Pulmolls, but I believe that’s only a French brand)… All in all, it’s perfect old whisky. Mouth: impressive arrival, very mentholy and pleasantly acrid – that must have been the wood. Would rather go on with apple pie, even cider, and perhaps a little green tea. In a way, it’s a rather farmy Springbank, and certainly not a totally polished one that’s only to be sipped in a genuine old chesterfield armchair. And old Springbank for the hipflask? Finish: long, more citrusy, always a tad raw, with more tannins as the signature. Well not exactly tannins as in wine, rather say ‘a tannicity’. A little toffee too. Comments: forgot to mention yuzu this time. I really loved this one despite – or maybe because – its roughness. We’re making good progress. SGP:561 - 91 points.

And now, the crème de la crème, supposedly…

Springbank 1965/2001 'Local Barley' (52.4%, OB, cask #65/9)

Cask #8 had been excellent, but perhaps not as great as most 1966s, for example (WF 89). Really curious about this one... Colour: deep gold. Nose: same whisky as the Miller & Landau, only stronger and perhaps fatter. That means that we’re feeling beehives in the midst of summer, mead, a few yellow flowers, raisins, light toffee (or our beloved box of Werther’s – buy Werther’s instead, that’s cheaper, says someone I know very well), hints of café latte… And behind all this quasi-roundness, a little earth and soot, which is very Springbanky. All is well so far. With water: careful with water, never drown the Local Barleys. In any case, it’s more a drying oak that comes out. Oh drop water. Mouth (neat): once again, we’re extremely close to the Miller & Landau (which could well have been a LB as well). A fat spirit, and yet it’s not exactly heavy, starting on citrus marmalades, raisins, and the same faintly herbal notes yet again, mint, eucalyptus… A little lemon grass as well, drops of honeysuckle tea, then,… wait, yuzu? Really? What’s sure is that it’s all very superb, and rather fresher than expected. It’s even got something of some old Rosebank, but its true that Rosebank wasn’t located very, very far away. With water: swims much better on the palate. Marmalade, drops of limoncello, more golden raisins, more honey… Finish: quite long, more honeyed, but also with rather more notes of cider apples, calvados… Something a little rough. Comments: excellent. Perhaps not as totally magical as the older labels, but it sure is one of the great and legendary Local Barleys. SGP:561 - 92 points.

Good, let’s state that that LB was our 11,000th. Moving on…

Check the index of all Springbank I've tasted so far