Twelve Springbank, vertically and in two parts


March 4, 2025

Twelve Springbank, vertically and in two parts

Having a Springbank session from time to time is as essential to us as oxygen to a diver or the colour yellow to Van Gogh. Alright, fair enough, take that as you will—but in any case, it's time for us to revisit a very recent batch of the official 10-year-old, which, last time we tried it in 2021, was an absolute benchmark for us. Then, we’ll attempt to climb Mount Everest, so to speak...

The north face of Everest in Tibet (Luca Galuzzi)

Springbank 10 yo (46%, OB, +/-2024)

Colour: white wine. Nose: I get the impression that SB 10 is becoming increasingly earthy, dirty, laden with soot, basalt, oyster shells, slightly rancid olive oil, mustard, slags, and various yeasts—everything we love, though it’s perhaps not quite to your new neighbour’s taste, just to be clear. SB 10 will never replace a good, easy Champagne blanc de blancs (not entirely sure about that last remark, S.). Mouth: austere, intensely saline, peppery, even dirtier on the palate, with striking bitterness and that unmistakable oily texture. Grilled aubergines come close, before lemon peel and a generous glass of fino sherry ride to the rescue. And it’s not the first time one gets the impression they’ve poured a bit of Longrow into the vatting tank. Finish: long, with that wonderfully discordant sensation of an oily yet razor-sharp malt. The aftertaste is saline, peppery, mezcal-like, and lemony. Comments: perhaps it’s that untamed, uncommercial edge that makes this so sought after. Go figure; we, of course, adore it, as ever.
SGP:362 - 91 points.

Another 10-year-old, please, but an older one...

Springbank 10 yo 1990/2000 (43%, Blackadder, cask #102, 397 bottles)

Angus has already tasted this baby and liked it, though without finding it of intergalactic calibre. Colour: light white wine. Nose: the kinship is evident, though this one is a little fruitier and more herbal, as well as rather lactic (yoghurt and mashed swede). Apple, clay, a touch of beer (international lager). I quite like it, though it suffers a little when compared to the newish official 10. Mouth: again, the resemblance is there, but it’s less ‘dirty’, more focused on apples and lemons, grass, and a note straddling gin and soap. No, no, that’s not the same thing at all! Finish: fairly long, lovely, with seaweed and shells, plenty of ashes, and a smoky edge. Comments: the slight problem is that there are so many magical Springbanks (barring the few overly sulphured old sherry casks and the rather improbable red wines) that the moment one falls even slightly short, we start complaining. Tsk-tsk.
SGP:562 - 86 points.

Springbank 15 yo (46%, OB, sherry, 2024)

The issue for me remains the same: it’s nearly impossible to beat the 10-year-old, even more so in terms of quality/price ratio. In short, the 15 is sold at twice the price of the 10. This is the 2024 release in our glass—I imagine the 2025 version is already in the pipeline. Colour: gold. Nose: a restrained sherry greets us, with the distillate in full command of itself, brimming with Springbankness. Damp plaster, fresh concrete, low tide, paint pot, lemon, menthol, old ointments, and not the slightest trace of sulphur this time. We found a bit in an earlier version, but that was back in 2017. Mouth: less luminous than the 10 OB, with more leather and simply more sherry (old walnuts) as well as tobacco, yet the brininess is spot-on, before things shift more towards bitter oranges rather than lemons. Finish: long, oily, with a touch of curry and very peppery olive oil. Comments: excellent, as expected, but as the old ad used to say, I wouldn’t trade two bottles of the 15 for one of the 10. Well, there we are…
SGP:462 - 88 points.

Springbank 23 yo 2000/2024 (52.5%, The Antelope Macau, 5th Anniversary, refill hogshead, 151 bottles)

And here we are, with a very Van Gogh-esque label. Colour: white wine. Nose: already rounder, more in the realm of a painter’s workshop (how fitting), with linseed oil, oil paint tubes, turpentine, then yeasts, bread dough, a touch of Swiss cheese (proper Gruyère), and seaweed butter… With water: tarmac, mashed potatoes, hints of fondue, raw wool. Mouth (neat): still fiery with youthful energy, marked here by that distinctive Swiss cheese, plenty of cumin, even black garlic, with a rounder texture brought by age. It’s rather singular, but I like it a lot, all the more since lime soon steps in to bring some order. With water: water brings out quite a bit of chilli mingling with that same lime. A wild beast, hardly the kind of dram to sip while lounging in your Chesterfield by the fire, listening to Stan Getz. Finish: long. Olive oil, chilli, pecorino, tar, citron, and seawater. Comments: a real oddball, this wild Springbank that has made its way (back) from Macau.
SGP:372 - 89 points.

Springbank 26 yo 1998/2024 (56.2%, North Star Spirit, Obscurities & Curiosities, first fill sherry butt)

Colour: very dark amber. Nose: here we are, plunged into the old-school, with game sauces (grand veneur) and chocolates, plus that tarry, ashy, and cement-like backbone of the distillate humming in the background. Then comes blackberry jelly draped over dried meats, followed by a stunning mint-infused liquorice. A rather sporty old Armagnac-like vibe ties it all together. A superb nose. With water: a hint of well-kept stable, old tobacco pouch, coffee, hoisin sauce, before it fractures into layers—leather at the helm (saddle, that is). Mouth (neat): oh blimey! A landslide of smoked pepper, bitter chocolate, grey tobacco, then blood orange and clove. The boss here? Definitely the chocolate. With water: chocolate, pepper, salt, and marmalade, all atop plasticine, which, to us, is very Springbank. Finish: long, oily, thick, glorious, and triumphant (or so we say!). Comments: a great Springbank with a great sherry cask—this is a truly exceptional whisky, another piece of proof.
SGP:563 - 92 points.

Springbank 29 yo 1994/2024 (50.1%, North Star Spirit, Obscurities & Curiosities, refill hogshead)

I don’t imagine this series will be easy to find—these are discreet little batches that seem to pass under the radar. Colour: white wine. Nose: incredible, we’re back to pure Springbank, almost simple, almost basic, yet this time with an abundance of… vegetable soup. Carrots, celery, potatoes, leeks, cabbage, plus chervil and parsley. The fruits gradually take over, though we remain in apple and plum territory, with absolutely nothing extravagant—and that, in fact, is what makes this almost abstract beauty so special. With water: pure Springbank, looping perfectly back to the current 10-year-old, just with even more grace. Mouth (neat): oh wow! An avalanche of citrus, oysters, mixed peppers, essences, and oils—utterly stunning. Time to call the anti-maltoporn brigade. With water: perfection, nothing more to say. Finish: fairly long, more resinous, ending on a top-tier manzanilla en rama. Time to put on Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, bow down, and say our prayers. Comments: shh…
SGP:462 - 94 points.

It seems that in certain countries—which we shall not name out of Christian charity—this small range is instead called "Obscenities & Cupidities", though we cannot say for sure. Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, the continuation of our verticale tomorrow morning...

Check the index of all Springbank we've tasted so far