Whisky Review: Springbank 12 Years Old 2004 Port cask

• Category: Campbeltown single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Springbank distillery
• Bottling: J & A Mitchell & Co Ltd.
• ABV: 57.0%
• Cost: £60

What they say

Distilled 19th November 2004 and matured in a Refill Port Hogshead for 12 Years before a sample bottle was collected for the cage at Cadenhead’s Campbeltown store in 2017.

Bottled at Cask Strength 57.0% ABV

What I say

From a friends recent plunder of Cadenhead’s Campbeltown shop “Cage Booze”

A 2004 vintage Springbank distillate matured in a refill port hogshead and bottled in 2017 at 12 Years Old

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Dark amber and rose gold (14/20), slow, fine tears and fine legs
• Nose: Gently sweet and spiced, like malt loaf smothered in treacle and baking spices, strawberry and lingonberry jam, a little nippy and spirity on the nose due to the alcohol strength, a touch of fruit balsamic vinegar, dunnage warehouse mustiness reminded me of stripping damped old wallpaper, this has a sappy or resinous quality that I likened to cut fresh cherry wood, hints of burnt rubber and smouldering charcoal.
• Taste:  Sweet, fruity and jammy, liquorice root, malt extract and peat fight it out over a berry jam sweetness, peat smoke, almost a little ashen, musty and earthy wine cellars, burnt marshmallows melted over coals, engine oil, burnt or well-toasted granary bread smothered with mixed berry jam.
• Finish: Long, gentle sweet fruit and malt followed by a light peat and wood smoke

Overall

A rather dirty and burnt, peaty and sweetened port-influenced Springbank. Perfect!

Score 88/100

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