Springbank 13 Year (2008) Refill Claret

Review by: Raygun

One of the “cage” bottles, distillery exclusives from Springbank. With Springbank mania the way it is, probably more of these get re-sold at auction than consumed by the original purchaser. And that’s likely where this came from. Hey, easier than a trip to Campbeltown, so I won’t complain too much. “Claret” is a now-archaic term for Bordeaux and similar red wines. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes.

Distillery: Springbank 

Bottler: Springbank

Region/style: Campbeltown single malt Scotch

ABV: 56.4% 

Age: 13 years. Distilled in 2008. 

Cask type: Could potentially be another red wine, but probably a Bordeaux cask, and French oak. 

Color: 0.8 deep gold. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Hints of farmyard and a slightly cheesy funk. Would have expected more red fruit from the cask, but it’s not showing too strongly here. A touch of red fruit is all, but it is a refill cask. Wet earth.  

Palate: Get the wine influence more clearly now. Damp forest, cherries, plums, and black grapes. Some cola as well. Cherry cola, to be specific. With some roast pork. Wasn’t sure what to expect, but this is an odd duck. It’s fairly savory, but otherwise I don’t notice the peat much, which is typical for me with Springbank.  

Finish: Cherry cola is prominent, along with the forest and earthy flavors. None of the cheese aspect of the nose. Plum sauce and black tea. Pretty astringent for a refill cask, though of course Bordeaux wines are often on the tannic side.  

Conclusion: Develops nicely over time. A fairly unusual Springbank, with some flavors that aren’t very typical for the brand. I don’t remember getting such a meaty flavor before, or the cola. This is a good one. Took me a little time to get a handle on it, but now working very nicely. Wine casks typically match better with heavy peat in my opinion, but the combination here is tasty. 

Buy a bottle? If I found one at Springbank, sure. Probably wouldn’t pay the auction premium.

Score: 83

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
  • 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)

Published by Raygun

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

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