Springbank 25 (1990) Sar Obair

Review by: Raygun

Sar Obair is a series from Kingsbury. Kingsbury was established in Scotland by a Japanese importer and bottles primarily for Japan. As such, not a bottler one comes across much in the Western hemisphere. I’ve never had one. This ought to be a good one to start with, the oldest Springbank I’ve tried. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 20 minutes.

Distillery: Springbank  

Bottler: Kingsbury  

Region/style: Campbeltown single malt Scotch

ABV: 53.33%. Cask strength. 

Age: 25 years old. Distilled in 1990 and bottled in 2016.      

Cask type: Hogshead, 201 bottles

Color: 1.4 tawny. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Caramel, herbs, and some machine shop. Orange oil and incense. Fireworks and a little curry leaf. Definitely pick up the age. Not especially intense, but layered and complex.                          

Palate: Very herbal, even a little celery salt. Leather, machine shop, and some farmy funk. This is very unique. I’m wondering if it could be a sherry hogshead. There’s some tamarind and a touch of milk chocolate with mint. Curry leaf again. Unveils new flavors over time, making for a different experience sip to sip.        

Finish: More heat than I’d have thought. Milk chocolate is stronger, and the orange comes back. The oak is heavier, but it doesn’t get overly tannic. Something tart comes out. Still quite herbal and it gets peppery, too. Just when it’s getting really weird, caramel returns. 

Conclusion: This is pretty wild stuff; I’ve never had anything quite like it. The herbal flavors are hard to describe, but curry leaf gets close. A definite pungency. It’s a heck of a ride. It wouldn’t be something I’d be in the mood for very often. Fun to try for sure.

Score: 87

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

Unknown's avatar

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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