Review by: The Muskox

This Springbank was distilled the week before Apollo 11 landed on the moon. ‘Nuff said.

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Distillery: Springbank.

Bottler: Signatory Vintage.

Region: Campbeltown.

ABV: 52.8%. Cask strength.

Age: 26 years. Distilled July 16th 1969. Bottled in April 1996.

Cask type: Sherry cask.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: 1.3, Russet/Muscat. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Dirty and fruity. Very fruity, actually – pineapple, guava, papaya, strawberry, citrus peels, pears. Black pepper, old pencils, wasabi, and ancient dried ginger. Browned butter. Deep herbal notes of eucalyptus and salted licorice. The sherry and malt emerge as deep red fruit, browned butter, and cloves. Nutty-savoury flavours of sesame seeds, smoked almonds, and soy sauce. Hints of machine shop and old-school wax.

Palate: Medium texture. Arrives slowly, with lots of orange, coconut, and waxy citronella, then rich oak spice, then very sweet sherry. Deeply smoky on the development but balanced with sweet notes of honey and barley sugar. Grilled shrimp, pickled jalapenos, and lots of eucalyptus. Milk chocolate, cashews, strong black tea, more cloves.

Finish: Quite long, mostly a continuation of the palate, with dark sherry sweetness on the back end. Candy apple, rancio, rooty bitterness, engine grease, cashews, and dark chocolate. More black pepper and soy sauce. Slightly milky.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Pandora’s spice box”

Conclusion: This does what it says on the tin, which for a whisky that comes in a tin like this in an incredible thing. It has all the old-Springbank character you’d want, with a lovely and balanced sherry cask influence. I really nursed my sample of this, with several small pours over the course of a few months. The second pour was for a tasting alongside this 30-year-old Clynelish, and I remember saying at the time that I preferred this Springbank. During my latest tasting where I finished writing these notes, I preferred the Clynelish. That said, I’m happy to give this whisky (and my own palate) the benefit of the doubt, and to report on the whisky at its best.

Final Score: 91.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.