While you may sharpen your senses when you hear Springbank 21 years old, this is from a single bourbon cask so it’ll probably be different from the official sherried ones.

Springbank 21 yo 1991 (51,5%, Malts of Scotland 2012, bourbon hogshead, MoS 12036, 144 btl.)

Nose: a slightly peculiar nose. There’s a nice sweet side to it, showing peach jam, cooked yellow plums, apple compote and golden raisins. But it’s also showing a dusty side, something in between cement powder (I swear), chalk and leather. Some greasy notes. Roasted almonds too. Mouth: clearly more mineral and coastal now. Paraffin, lemon, brine. Goes back to almonds and faint notes of stewed fruits but it’s never quite rounded. Maybe even a hint of peat? Then also a faint bitterness from the oak. Ginger, a little green tea and nutmeg. Finish: long and clean, balancing between oak and fruit compote. Late pepper.

I like my Springbanks sherried and both the old ones and the new version are excellent examples. That being said, this is a very good Springbank and one of the more interesting releases in the recent batch by Malts of Scotland. Around € 110.

Score: 87/100