This was the first dram I ever had at the first whisky festival I went to in Leiden. It must have been around 2006 or 2007 I think. For some reason it was also one of the first Springbanks I ever tasted apart from the regular 10 year old (review will follow some day). After that, the virus more or less struck.

Not that I think Springbank is the best distillery in the world, or anything short sighted like that, but I do like the style, the old fashionedness and the people. Even more so after visiting the place in 2010.

Nose:
Lots of cereal and nutty marsala influences (no surprises). The saltiness typical for Springbank is still present but has been pushed back a little bit to be replaced by a kind of an earthy sweetness. Also some mint, winey sweetness and moldy cream. More vanilla after a short while.

Taste:
Smooth on the tongue, but does build a bit of a byte after a few seconds. More woody, still quite grainy and the nutty, earthy sweetness is very much present here as well.

Finish:
A bit short but with quite the bite. The sweetness lingers but the salt is completely gone. A hint of pepper and a bit of creme brulee too.

When I first got this one I really really liked it. But since my sense of taste and smell have developed a little bit more I find it a more simple dram. The flavour and aroma is absolutely good, but there’s not a lot of stuff going on. The typical Springbank flavours are a bit overwhelmed by the Marsala cask, I think. Still, a very decent dram.

Springbank 9, Marsala Wood, OB, 10-1996 – 08-2006, 55%, available at Uw Top Whisky for € 62.18