Recently I got a little bit confused about this bottling, since I thought it was from 2017 instead of 2016. That led to some strange comments from me on Facebook and some confusing discussions about it afterwards. Apparently I am so old now that a year means nothing anymore. Or at least it passes really fast.

As with the previous Starkicker bottling that was reviewed here, it’s bottled by an Austrian whisky club. That’s all I know about it.

But again, 21 year old Springbank. Can’t really go wrong with that.

Sniff:
It’s very funky sherry like you’d expect from Springbank. Slightly bitter with something I described as ‘pickled dates’. Furniture polish, old oak and walnuts.

Sip:
The palate is very dry and very nutty. Slightly funky again, with lightly bitter and earthy notes. Lots of oak, European oak, I guess. Dates and apricot.

Swallow:
The finish is dry and earthy again, and exactly like the palate.

By now, and with all the awesome Springbank reviews I did in January, I have gotten to a state that a 21 year old Springbank like this is no longer very surprising.

I’m getting rather spoiled, so to say. Especially since this one didn’t really make an imperssion, but it is a very good one. Much, much better than that strange sherry matured, port finished concoction that was the other Starkicker bottling.

This one is an extremely funky sherry cask If you don’t really like those, but prefer the clean sherry style of, for example, old Glen Grant and such, I guess this one isn’t for you. I really dig those earthy, nutty and funky flavors to a certain level. This one is on the brink of being too funky, but does it *just* right for me.

89/100

Springbank 21, 1995-2016, Fresh Sherry, 49% – Starkicker, Austria. Available in Austria for € 245,00