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Springbank 10 Year Old

Great discovery, but let it breathe

7 491

@OdysseusUnboundReview by @OdysseusUnbound

5th May 2017

1

  • Nose
    23
  • Taste
    23
  • Finish
    23
  • Balance
    22
  • Overall
    91

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Let it breathe. Let me say it again: Let. It. Breathe. This whisky needs time to open up. It's bottled at 46%, so it's strong. It's unchillfiltered and has no caramel colouring, if that kind of thing matters to you.

Nose (undiluted): toffee, dried fruit (raisins?), light smoke, peat, vanilla, pears, leather, citrus (orange?), pine needles in the background. Don't rush this. It's a delightful nose. Take your time.

Palate: this is where Springbank's complexity really shines. Thick, creamy, full-bodied, starting with toffee, smoke, vanilla, developing light peat, floral honey, ginger, ending on cinnamon, biting black pepper and tangy brine. You really want to "chew" this one for 10 seconds or so, to appreciate the complex development it presents. Fantastic.

Finish: Smoke, peat, ginger, pepper, oak, leather, tobacco notes, hints of banana. Breathe and really enjoy the finish.

Adding water to Springbank brought out more sweetness on the nose as well as floral and herbal notes on the palate. (Hints of pine nuts or cashews perhaps?) I was expecting it to be smokier and peatier, but these notes are complimentary and do not dominate the malt the way they do in a Laphroaig or an Ardbeg. This is a very enjoyable malt. After the bottle has been open for a few weeks, the peppery bite calms down a BIT and more sweetness comes through on the finish. It's hard to say anything bad about this expression.

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4 comments

@Hewie
Hewie commented

Great review. I've been deliberating what my next bottle should be and I think you just solved that problem. Interesting how some whisky needs so much more time to really open up and show their true colours.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@jeanluc
jeanluc commented

Nice tasting notes @OdysseusUnbound, thanks for posting. I really like Springbank 10, so much going on but also so well balanced. Chewing, as you say, is a must relaxed

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

@Hewie I hope you try it. It's unique and worth "thinking" about. It's not a casual drink. And it gets better with time; in the glass and in the bottle.

6 years ago 0

@GoodVintage
GoodVintage commented

Ace review @OdysseusUnbound I also like this whisky very much. Good shout for the ginger notes on the finish!

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

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