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Whisky Review

2011-02 Springbank, Hazelburn, Longrow - Campbeltown Comfort

SPRINGBANK - HAZELBURN - LONGROW
Monday 28th February 2011 at Firth Hall, Wellington College, with Keith Tibble from EuroVintage

It has been 4 years to the day we last had a Springbank tasting. Tonight's evening was a bit of a rollercoaster to organise! Two sold out nights had to be converted into one big night to make the best use of Springbank's marketing manager, Peter Currie. Then the Earthquake hit and Peter's visit was cancelled. Never fear, the importer's Keith Tibble stepped in to bring us all up to date with what Springbank has in store for us in 2011. We can confirm now that we are not expecting a Springbank 21 release this year BUT have all expectation for an 18 year old Longrow. We will keep you all posted.

The evening started with an honouring of the lost souls from the earthquake, for those left behind and for those in the rescue effort. Slainthe.

Closer to home, we decided tonight was the night we were all allowed to complain bitterly about the postponement of Dramfest. 21 of us had booked to go down. I asked how dissappointed we were, on a scale of 1 to 10, and took 21 votes for 11.

To make up for it we treated ourselves to 7 Campbeltown malts, with a few suprises among them. Guessing was exceptionally tricky with 24 experts guessing 1 or less correct!

The whisky reviews:

Springbank 12 yo Cask Strength 54.6% Score 8.54 came first.
Green apples on the nose, then chocolate Christmas cake, honey maple and cream, dusty calvados, a leather school bag. Muscatelle sherry palate, with savoury notes too, cask strength with soft hot chocolate.
The finish is well balanced between the peat, the salt and the sweet notes. Long alcoholic finish. Suprisingly high score, this is quite a dry expression but well received overseas. It is replacing the 100 proof 10 yo.

Springbank 10 yo 100 Proof 57% Score 8.51 came second.
Stoned fruit nose with peppery leather, big alcohol, vanilla, eucalypt, chocolate icecream, fresh bourbon notes and metals. A palate of sticky date pudding, cask strength. Long finish pushed along by the cask strength. This is quite an oily big whisky. Up until today the best of the current Springbank portfolio. If you loved it you'd better be in quick because it will all be gone.

Longrow CV 46% Score 8.15 came third.
Burnt rubber Longrow nose with cheese and smokey bacon, bakelite, dirty ash "welcome home"!
Smokey palate, reminiscent of Bowmore, with perfumed cosmetics.
Oily finish, lavender, probably long. A big whisky, obviously coming up behind the cask strength bottlings. For those looking for smoke and sweetness this ticks the boxes.

Longrow 14 yo 46% Score 8.08 came fourth.
Sweet rubbery butterscotch nose, vitamin B, musky heather, creaming soda, hot plastic chessmen, rancid butter, flies. Sour dusty palate, bicycles, oaky grass. Waxy finish, smokey, medium length. A bit of a classic in it's own right.

Hazelburn 12 yo 46% Score 7.92 came fifth.
Springbank-like nose, sherry and fruit, sweet oily prickle like 46%. Caramel, apple shampoo, buttery toffee.
Sparkly palate, creamy with sour mash notes. Sweet finish, dark chocolate, pepper and salt, medium length. Apparently the cask strength releases are fantastic, we will persue!

Springbank 18 yo 46% Score 7.84 came sixth
Rum, grass and hops on the nose, with sweet floral notes and stewed rhubarb, cigar honey wax, citrus peel and artificial sweetener, rusty marmalade with cloves, marshmallows, buttery and woody.
Bitter grass palate, hot and dirty, unlike nose, ups and downs with a satin cashmere texture.
Short/long finish with some smokey chocolate liquorice. This has been well received overseas, but still very much the modern Springbank style. We obviously have to wait many more years before seeing anything of the old Springbank style from yesteryear.

Springbank CV 46% Score 7.74 came seventh (mystery)
Salty nose, some smoke even, Longrow at a guess. Yeast, beer, apricots, light colour and 46% with brine, dusty linen and grasshoppers. Sweet palate with smoke, oils and buttery. A zingy finish, sweet, lime, cocoa with long length.

Springbank do something a little bit different from everone else, thank god. Soon their Kilkerran Malt will be coming on stream as well, so along with Glen Scotia this will mean five Campbeltown single malts for us to enjoy, slainthe,

Daniel
The Products...
LONGROW 14YO 46% 700ML
Longrow 14Yo 46% 700Ml
Longrow 14 yo 46% Score 8.08 at our Campbeltown tasting April 2011:   Sweet...
$171.00 700 MLS
More...
LONGROW CV 700ML
Longrow Cv 700Ml
Longrow CV 46% Score 8.58 at our Island Xtreme tastings August 2010:   Nose...
$106.70 700 MLS
More...
SPRINGBANK 12YO 58.5% 700ML
Springbank 12Yo 58.5% 700Ml
Reviewed and rated at our grand finale whisky tasting Best of the Best 2011. ...
$120.80 700 MLS
More...
SPRINGBANK 18YO 46% 700ML
Springbank 18Yo 46% 700Ml
Springbank 18 yo 46% Score 7.84 at our Campbeltown tasting 2011:   Rum, g...
$190.20 700 MLS
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Staff Recommendations

KIERAN

And the good weather starts! I had a fantastic roast shoulder of lamb on the weekend.

DANIEL

Give me big flavour at cask strength if possible please.
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