These Springbank Cask Strength bottlings are always a sure bet. I’ve not tried all of them, but I did have quite a few over the years, so far none of them were disappointing.

This specific version was released in 2020, and matured in a combination of sherry and bourbon casks (35% and 65% respectively).

Sniff:
Lots of crisp green and yellow fruit. Apples, star fruit, unripe pears, orchard stuff. Some oak in the background, fresh oak shavings. With a bit of time there’s a bit of funkiness coming through. Like old leather and attics. Flint and slate too.

Sip:
The palate is a lot more timid than I expected. There’s some dryness but not much of a bite. Lots of old white oak, a little acidity that might be because of a slightly higher age. The fruitiness is a bit towards old apples and unripe pears. Grape seeds.

Swallow:
The finish start with a bit more sweetness towards the fruity notes. A slightly syrupy touch without becoming cloying or anything. Long with lots of bright notes and a grape seed edge of light bitterness.

Strangely, I found this whisky to be rather timid, for it’s over 55% abv. Also, the sherry was quite restrained and didn’t really show all that much. A very good bit of whisky making from Campbeltown, with the result being a layered and complex dram that is very enjoyable to sit back with.

I never guessed this was Springbank (and I had to guess since it was part of the Blind Tasting Competition). It comes across as a much older whisky, at a much lower ABV. It goes without saying that I scored no points at all.

89/100