Springbank singular taste?

I haven’t tasted a lot of Springbank, so I’m not sure I’m totally the right guy to answer, but here’s my take based on my limited experience. I would describe Springbank as having an mineral undertone. I would also describe it as distillate driven. What I mean by that is that it has an underlying flavour that reminds me of new make spirit I’ve had. In most other distilleries that isn’t nearly as apparent after 10years in a barrel for whatever reason. The two combine to offer something unique in the Springbank flavour profile that I don’t get in many other distilleries. Idk. I had a taste of their 21 yo in Scotland and LOVED it.

I love most whiskies I've had from Springbank, and I could try to answer this question. But my answer would probably be different from the one @nooch gave, and the next person's response would be different again.

I don't want to totally discount the notion that you might find something you like in a whisky and then find it again in a different whisky from the same distillery, but I do think that a lot of that is just expectation fulfillment. The human brain is really good at finding patterns even where none exist.

So, I'm agreeing with the notion that might be implicit in @Robert99's question here, that what we consider "so typical" of a distillery exists mostly in our individual minds.

For the record, my answer would probably be that the Springbank character is "maritime & industrial"—but I doubt I would pick that up from (say) three blind samples of a Longrow Red, an old sherried Springbank, and a light young Hazelburn. And I seriously doubt I would guess they're all from the same distillery.

Am I wrong? Who here can pick out the Springbanks among a set of similar blinded whiskies? What's the giveaway?

Some, including Jim Murray, have commented on a chameleon-like variability in Springbank. That chameleon-like variability can refer to air changes over time from the same bottle or even taste progressions of a single sample in the mouth. Of the many distilleries out there, I think of Springbank as being one of the more wide-ranging in the possible range of its flavour profile. Which is also to say, that, though I have some Springbanks about which I have thought, "Yes, that tastes like Springbank." I have had others which I would not have had any idea that Springbank was the distillery.

So, a 'loose and limited taste pattern' equals neither 'no pattern' nor 'a very consistent pattern'.

I find Springbank to be a "challenging" whisky. It has a lot going on, and it challenges the palate. I think it would be overwhelming for new whisky sippers. But with experience I think it is a great distillery.

I find here is in fact a "signature" I feel I get with all the expressions I've tried. Granted they have all been CS, but there's a salty, oily flavour that peaks through even the finished casks (Lobgrow Burgundy and Springbank Claret wood).

The first word in my mind is "mineral". Like popping some pebbles from a fresh water river in your mouth !

Springbank is a hard one to pin down. As others have said it changes in time in the bottle with air. Generally quite complex.

I think others have hit their signature flavour on the head with mineral and industrial. But I would add green apples and sherried to that as well. But a different sort of sherry cask influence to a Speysider, that comes through to me as something like ginger biscuits.

I agree about different people having different experiences and perceptions of a whisky. One of the words that get most often used when describing Springbank is 'peaty' but other than Longrow I get very little peat on it at all.

EDiT I've not tried any of the more hard to get whiskies they have like the burgundy wood and so on.

@Wierdo I came upon 2 bottles of the Longrow Burgundy wood in December 2016, in Calgary, at what looked like the original selling price. Wine searcher showed double the price where available, so I picked them up. The first one is almost gone. The second is an investment... in my future tasting pleasure...

@Nozinan what a find! The Springbank special releases like local barley etc get crazy expensive very quickly.

@Wierdo It's true, not to mention hard to find. I didn't think much of the Claret wood when I first tried it in 2011, shortly after I started my whisky journey. A year after opening and a more mature palate and I couldn't believe how good it was. Long gone at the LCBO though. But in Calgary I found a few places where it was still for sale at original price, and over the next 2-3 years I was able to stash away a few. I think I've finished 2 bottles now. Picking the next opening time will be challenging...

@Nozinan - Great finds! It's so in demand here that you can only buy one bottle of the SB10 at a time in most places.

@RianC I have a Calvados wood as well that I found while looking for the Claret.

Availability is pretty good in Alberta but prices have really gone up. Finding a 12 YO CS (or any of the limited releases) for under $100 CAD is becoming very rare.

@Nozinan . . . I'm jealous I was very lucky a few months back and got a CS12 for rrp (around £55). It sold out at MoM the next day and they are going for £80+ elsewhere but are very rare. Definitely ones to snag when you see them . . .

Back on OP - I think I'd agree with @Wierdo . SBs that I've had have been industrial and mineral. It's been almost covered over in some samples I've had but there is a lemony malt note alongside the peat that also usually comes through. I'd also describe the texture as oily and thick.

That being said I reckon the Kilkerran 12 was even more industrial!