We’re returning to Campbeltown today. There have been some great independent Springbank releases lately, which despite the high price, are always hard to get. In our glass we have the recent Springbank 1994 bottled by WhiskySponge.
Springbank 25 yo 1994 (45,4%, WhiskySponge 2020, refill sherry hogshead, 209 btl.)
Nose: a rather balanced profile with some worn leather, sweet pipe tobacco, walnut cake, hints of wet cedar and sweet mint. A peculiar fruity note that is close to red berries or even marshmallows but also slightly fragrant. Flavoured tobacco? Wild flowers and menthol. Waxed papers. Brass polish. Really nice.
Mouth: more tobacco and walnuts at first – very savoury, with some herbal potions and leafy / mossy notes. It seems slightly capped, as if the brighter and fruitier notes are filtered out entirely, leaving only the musty wood, leather and almost a hint of old-bottle effect. The low ABV kinda underscores this capped impression. Hints of chocolate coated nuts in the end, as well as a nice, earthy dryness.
Finish: not too long, still earthy and leafy with more tobacco.
Gotta love tobacco for this one: a great dry and leafy profile. Somehow this reminds me of a sherried 1960s whisky that spent too much time in an open bottle, taking away some of the original sparkle. A very unique profile, though maybe not the easiest. All bottles are long gone.