Tasting Springbank 21 year old–1990s edition
This dram and those notes are all in honor of a fellow whisky blogger and mensch who recently stopped blogging about this favorite drop of liquor : whisky. I guess those of you who are / were a part of his whisky fabric, know who I am talking about. Whisky connected people all over the globe and I am lucky to have made his acquaintance, and sure he’ll be back with a vengeance soon. here’s to you mate! Now, this wee dram was part of a sample swap we conducted a few months ago, and I need not tell you that I really dig Springers, being mostly well made, in that artisan distillery which works like most used to. Low volume, everything done on site, lovely. Having tasted quite a few of their new drams, and hearing great stuff about this 21 year old (not the one released last year, but this from the 1990’s) I had to try and see for myself if it really lives up to its reputation.
Springbank 21 yo, 1990’s , 46% ABV 
Nose: Spicy stuff, followed by fruitier sultanas, some black currant, cranberries, a dash of salt, while still quite sugary as in Demerara sugars, grape peel and a very faint hint of tobacco. a very nice and complex nose.
Palate: Spicy and pepper on entry too, with a lot of classy old wood, dusty cellar sort of, then enters the fruit, with a sprinkle of white pepper followed by apple, bitter grape peel, as in very dry white wine, sultana, some butterscotch, not very salty at all. rather playing the bitter-sweet-fruity-woody game with twists at random points in time, which make it all the more interesting.
Finish : Bitter wood and sweet sultana , fig and some black fruit again.
So, how was it? Top dram no doubt, and now I am beginning to regret not getting the 21 year old released last year… oh well, can’t have them all, can I?
Super complex, super nice. a big like. Superb stuff.
Score: 92/100
Cheers for the sample Coop!
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