Name: Springbank 10 Years old
Brand: Springbank
Rating: 3.5 (2 reviews)

I’m not a big fan of young Springbank, but the fact that Springbank 10 Years old picked up an award at the recent World Whisky Awards 2010 made me want to review it in depth. I’ll do a direct comparison between the 2008 batch and the restyled 2009 batch.

Springbank 10 yo
(46%, OB 2009, batch 09/434)

Nose: a classic Springbank profile with a wide range of aromas. Starts on tangerine, with added notes of lemon peel, green apples and pears. Dry oak. Maritime notes with a bit of ‘wet dog’. Hints of sharp, earthy peat as well. After a while, the fruitiness becomes bigger and rounder.

Mouth: very oily and extremely coating. Very peaty as well, much more peat than I expected. Rather spicy, with mostly pepper and nutmeg coming out. Roasted nuts in the background. A faint hint of sour notes (vinegar?) in the aftertaste. Becomes a bit perfumed with water, so I recommend it straight.

Finish: long, peaty and briney.

This is a surprisingly complex dram. A very consistent opener of the range! Around € 35.

Score: 86/100

Springbank 10 yo
(46%, OB 2008, batch 08/82, 35cl)

Nose: this version clearly shares the same basic elements, but the end result is less appealing. Still some tangerine, but it misses the sparkling freshness. Lots of strawberries with cream, quite spectacular. A bit more wine influence I would say, with dried fruits and even a few dirty traces. Hints of sesame oil (I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this in a whisky before but it’s clearly there).

Mouth: maybe a tad less fat and a tad less peaty. More spices though. Less different than on the nose, but still it misses the balance of the 2009 version. Hints of heather honey that I didn’t find in the newer version.

Finish: medium length, less briney and more malty. Very dry.

This Springbank 10yo is less complex and a bit rougher. Let’s be glad the current version is definitely the better choice.

Score: 82/100

Afterwards, I found out it won in the category “Best Campbeltown under 12 years” which probably limits the number of contenders to.. two? three maybe? Never take whisky competitions too seriously!

For a review of the 2015 edition, see here: Springbank 10 Year Old 2015

14Comments

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1

WhiskyNotes on 28 July 2010 at 23:19

Indeed, my Springbank 1997 (bottled 2007) has this kind of bottling code on the back of the front label, but older Springbanks (10yo with a charcoal label and several 21yo’s) don’t have it. Thanks for the information, Carl.
2

Carl on 29 July 2010 at 12:20

Truth be told I have both the old cream label (with orange then black border) and the old charcoal label (with orange border) and cannot find the dates on either, hence my question to Mr and Mrs Springbank, maybe this is because I am drinking at the same time.
SteveH- here is South Africa we also have the 75cl, no change there, but sadly no-one is bringing in my favourite medicine anymore and only old stocks can be found in dark corners at odd and varying prices. Soon I may consider turpentine as a morning dram.
3

Gord Campbell on 19 November 2011 at 08:50

I just finished a 70c bottle of 10 year old that i bought at the shop in Campbeltown. I live in the Yukon in Canada and this single malt has the fullness of flavour that brings out the memories of Scotland. A mild peaty nose, with a lasting oily/almost clove after taste brings back the day with clarity.

Springbank 10 yo (46%, OB 2009, batch 09/434)

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Springbank 10 yo
(46%, OB 2009, batch 09/434)