Springbank 18 Years Old 1996 Sherry Cask 491

By Barry Bradford on July 8, 2016 • ( Leave a comment )

Springbank 18 Years Old 1996 (56.3%, Whiskybroker, Sherry HH #491, 258 Bottles, 2014)

Category: Campbeltown single malt scotch whisky
Origin: Springbank Distillery
Bottling: Whiskybroker Cask No 491
ABV: 56.3%
Cost: £62.02

What they say

Sherry Hogshead Cask No 491

Distilled 18th October 1996, Bottled 17th December 2014, 258 bottles at 56.3%

Notes from Bens Whisky

Nose – Sweet, balanced, winey, sherried Springbank. Window putty and candle wax, old polished bookshelves and magazines. Big, elegant, less restrained but with less complexity. I do find Springbank becomes more elegant but less compelling between 15 and 18 (personally). With water, almost SMWS intensity – boiled sweets and waxy wine. Lovely.
Body – A little spice, sweet with sulphur sherry, lots of red wine, quite a lot of heat. Red fruit and tobacco. Much woodier with water, more classical.
Finish – Long and tasty. A lasting tobacco bitterness and again a little one dimensional.

What I say

Part of a pair of Springbank expressions bottled by Whiskybroker late 2014, this one was matured for 18 years in a sherry hogshead. Many thanks to Ben @BensWhisky for sharing this with us.

My tasting notes:

Appearance: Deep blood/ruby red (16/20) rapid, thick & oily legs are followed by slow-forming medium-fine tears
Nose: Dusty, chalky and spicy, dry and tannic, leathery and sun-baked, fruity strawberry & raspberry jellies, red fruits, sweet, musty and mineralic, bath salts? and smoke too – gentle wood smoke.
Taste: Rounded and fruity, a medley of strawberry, raspberry, plum, melon, apple, cherry, raisin & fig, treacle toffee, malty, candyfloss, sugary crème brulee topping, hints of cinnamon and nutty, leather, tannic (but not so drying), weak and slightly herbal oak wood
Finish: Long, subtle, malty oak and chalky/dried leather