Springbank 21 Year Old is a classic, and we were quite fond of the bling-bling re-release introduced in 2011. It has been a yearly bottling since then and we’re now trying the latest 2013 edition.
Springbank’s warehouses only contain a few casks of 20 years or older. No matter what cask in was in before, all of these 20+ casks are reracked into sherry casks, in order to have the required profile of the 21 Year Old.
Springbank 21 yo (46%, OB 2013, 1680 btl.)
Springbank 21 yo (46%, OB 2013, 1680 btl.)Nose: quite subtle, with more fruity notes than obvious sherry. Pears and melons, nectarines, maybe a bit of mango. Sweet barley and honey. Some floral notes (rose petals). A hint of wax and new leather.
Mouth: oily and easy-going. Never really punchy. Garden fruits (pear, apple peel, unripe apricot), with waxy / mineral notes behind them. Gentle brine and nutty notes. Aniseed and clove. A little tobacco, even a hint of peat.
Finish: quite long, on crystallized fruits with minerals and a soft oaky touch.
A fine but quite reticent Springbank. It shows a nice sense of subtlety and oldness, but it’s way behind the old bottlings and also behind the 2011 edition. Good but not worth the asking price. Around € 275 if you can still find a bottle.
Score: 89/100