Springbank 11 yo Cadenhead Original Collection

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Springbank - Campbeltown

Bourbon Casks

Independent Bottling 

By William Cadenhead Limited 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 12 ppm

 

 

 

 

The Mitchell family owning the trading company William Cadenhead Limited since 1972, we cannot say that this bottling is really independent. It makes me wonder why the people at the distillery chose to release it via Cadenhead, and not as an Original Bottling. One more year and that could be the new Batch of the 12 yo Cask Strength. It's not as if Springbank had plenty of casks not to know what to do with. For this one in any case, the maturation is totally in Bourbon barrels, which number we do not know, and neither the number of bottles filled.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

I immediately feel the influence of Bourbon, with buttered bread, lemon cream, white fruits, mirabelles, greengages, even exotic, mashed banana, passion fruit. It's woody, vanilla, applesauce, pastry cream. On the palate, more cereal, wheat and barley, rye, but still with a sweet touch, genoise and mille-feuilles. The spices are there, very pleasant, until the finish, quite long, but not extremely powerful, vanilla and beaten butter, liquorice juice, charcoal and earth.

 

In Short, 

It is important to say that I tasted it blind, and I had a hard time recognizing the distillery. I found it very good nonetheless. But when you know it's a Springbank, it's disappointing, because the markers are very discreet, to say the least. This is perhaps the reason why they preferred to release it via Cadenhead, the influence of Bourbon was beginning to stifle the distillate, it was necessary to bottle it as soon as possible. That said, let's be clear, a disappointing Springbank, it's still better than the majority of Single Malts today. It's pastry, fruity, with a very slight hint of smoke. But then, even at the outlet price, it's too expensive for a Springbank that doesn't look like a Springbank.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Julie Byrne - Summer Glass