🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

Quite interesting profile - not bad but won't become my favorite LB

Strong Spirit Characters: 2023.10.30. (in order of my preference) Ardnamurchan 6yo PST 2015 https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/213175/ardnamurchan-2015-pst 87- Kilkerran 8yo CS#8 bourbon https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/226523/kilkerran-08-year-old 87- Springbank 11yo LB 2011 https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/223472/springbank-11-year-old 87+ Distilled in Sutherland 5yo PST (2022) https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/221768/distilled-in-sutherland-05-year-old-pst 87+ Springbank 10yo OB 20/151 https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/180670/springbank-10-year-old 88- Springbank 12yo CS#24 https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/232398/springbank-12-year-old 88+ Springbank 5yo SS 2017 https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/230465/springbank-2017 88+ Daftmill CS 2010 Facebook group https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/196457/daftmill-2010 88+ Springbank 12yo CS#19 https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/138854/springbank-12-year-old 89-

21+ 22+ 21 22 87 Local Barley is difficult to confuse with anything else; this beauty stands apart! If the nose is a little closed at the beginning and is also young, then the bright taste solves all the issues! update from 11/23/2023 - another bottle, the same impressions, there are questions with the nose, but then real yummy!

Quite mineral and juicy, citrus, peach, iodine, pepper, oak, tobacco, an interesting profile, not bad at all

My sample of the current Local Barley has been waiting for a while to be opened and tried, and since the 11yo Local Barley was part of the line-up at yesterday's Springbank Society Tasting at Cadenhead's Cologne, a re-evaluation is a good idea, especially for me last night that the Local Barley did not occupy a prominent position in relation to the other Springbank products on display. As it turns out, this impression is confirmed, even detached from other taste impressions. Yesterday: 86/87/86, today: 86/86/86. This tingling in the nose and on the tongue makes the whisky quite "spicy", in my opinion a little more creaminess would do it very well.

Fur hat, no knickers. It's alright, but not worth the money people are paying for it - more like a £60 bottle.

[May 2025] I scored the 11-year old Springbank Local Barley sold in 2017 at 86 points only... ...and this one is a little better, but still miles away from the first Local Barley editions. Given more than hundred other tasting notes already, it is not needed to do a detailed review here - but I suggest to reduce this dram to about 48% abv. It opens up nicely this way.

Color a light yellow. Oily streaks on the glass. It comes initially with a delicate smoky note, but which is partly lost again. I hear a grassy, slightly spicy note, the grain is there too little wood. In the mouth he gains weight. Not only in terms of strength, but also aromatically. The spice increases, but not dominant, looks natural you can literally smell and taste the farm. There should be 55% sherry in it, I don't notice anything. I don't even notice the smoke anymore. A very nice malt, definitely. But at the asking price?

Light golden color. Oily whisky.

I'm not a fanboy, but curious, so thanks to @DocF. for the dram, one is enough for me, I don't need a bottle for the course

Fruit compote with vanilla, honey and floral notes, iodine. Light notes of Campbeltown peat in the background. The taste is pleasant-wine-sour, sweet-tart with spices. Sweet notes, I think, not only from bourbon, but also from rum barrels. The finish is quite short, somewhat smeared. 22.5-22-21-21.5.

Maybe a tad sweeter and less austere than most previous editions of the modern Springbank Local Barley releases.

Must, yeast, sourish tones abound, but in taste, on the contrary, sweet tones of apple, peach, apricot, jelly prevail. Medium length finish with sweet apple tones.

Typical LB. Grassy and floral. 81-85 – Wow, really good one

Direct comparison with "Local Barley 2007"

aroma strong, sweet, citrus notes, pepper The taste Creamy, pepper, citrus notes, spicy, sweet Resonance Medium length, wood spice, bitter notes, spicy

No, I'm sorry, I can't understand the recurring hype about this bottling series. It's quite tasty in itself and doesn't do anything wrong, but seriously: this is a malt in the price range of around 70-100 euros and would already be well paid for! If you can get it for well over 100 euros RRP (I'm not even talking about the sometimes ridiculous retail prices), it's simply overpriced and a joke. I can only recommend to broaden your view of Campbeltown a bit, because you can get stuff that is just as good there much cheaper away from Springbank.

actually i will up one point, after the bottle development more power on palate and finish, after being open for 2 months

Typical Springbank profile, enriched by fresh rum notes. Best local barley edition of recent years.

Very creamy, on buttered bread, peanut butter, knob of butter, frangipane. Then it's the farm, the hay, the stable, the lime. Rain on dry, just-plowed earth. Vanilla, mirabelle plum. Maple syrup. Roasted corn. Adding water makes it more sociable, and I don't know if that's a good thing. Cut straw. A few medicinal touches, on turpentine. Chopped flowers. The smoke of a campfire, in the distance. Pumpkin, butternut. Smells of frightened cattle. On the palate, it's very sweet at first, and the lemon comes out, then quite strong but suitable spices, cumin, nutmeg, thyme. We can taste the sweetness of the rum, rose water, Turkish delight. Finally, the straw returns with the beaten butter and almonds. Slightly bitter woody. Long, fiery, earthy finish, a hint of charcoal, cane syrup, pastry cream. Chantilly cream. Egg yolk. Acacia honey. What can be said about this bottle that hasn't already been said? It's not only very good, it's very original, and it's shaking up the world of whisky. The notion of terroir and local production are revolutionary in an increasingly globalized industry. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2023/07/springbank-11-yo-local-barley-2022.html

Very good Springbank. No wonder this bottle costs a fortune. Too bad it was just a little dram. Such a drink certainly requires celebration and time in the glass.

A beautiful bottling. The comparison may be a bit lame, but I recently had the 2024 12yo Cask Strength (Batch 25) in my glass, which impressed me even more.

Pretty intense, but a little too unbalanced.

Good news: Typically Springbank and in my opinion significantly more interesting than the last LB of the previous year. A good result in the first litter from the sample bottle. But we all know: Springbank usually develops very positively with the bottle with oxidation. In this respect, a review will take place in a few months.

Fifteen thousand bottles, flip your CocaCola, infamous. HI.

Almost 88 points do not quite do the whisky justice. Serge even scored 91 points here. I wouldn't go quite that far, having had a dram or two from this bottle three times in the last three days, but with water it comes close to 91 points. A solid 90 points in all three areas. But you shouldn't expect the 55% sherry content here - if it hadn't been on the label, I wouldn't have noticed that there was supposed to be a sherry influence here. The rum content is also barely noticeable, but it makes the whisky smoother. I find the rum more noticeable than the sherry. Glen-Effze has once again made a mark with its note and hits the nail on the head. For me, this is a 90 point whisky, especially when combined with water. The malt used gives the whisky a special note - in terms of craftsmanship, there is rarely anything to complain about with Springbank anyway. This is a bottle that is even comparatively cheap, thanks to the 15,000 bottles from this batch. Maybe I'll buy another one so I can let the whisky oxidize in the closed bottle for a few years. It could be that such a young whisky will be as legendary in 30 years as the local barleys from the 60s/70s. For a batch of 15,000 bottles, probably at least 50 barrels, the whisky is surprisingly individual and complex. Springbank simply does a good job. I have rarely enjoyed such a good whisky from a batch of 15,000 bottles, such an intense and well-crafted product.

The current Local Barley from 2022 is 11 years old and comes from 55% ex-Sherry casks. It's a fairly standard gold color, but looks more like ex-bourbon. Actually, Springbank makes normal, unexcited whiskys, the opposite of the pimped monsters. That's why the nerds like it - and what the nerds like, the investors recognize as a good investment that the nerds can no longer afford. Capitalism is a plague! glen-efze.de

A fundamentally well-made, high-quality malt that I also enjoy. But it is still an 11-year-old malt - even Springbank can't do any more magic than that. I don't understand how you can spend €150+ on it.

S 7 A few drops of water and time will open up the peat and the Springbank funkiness. A saltier version of the recent years local barley releases I’d say. Quaffable, but not crazy secondary market ££££ good. 81-85 - Another dram welcomed.

Sweet-fruity nose, pineapple with honey, lime, very delicate smoke, apricot with vanilla, alcohol well integrated, less sweet in the mouth, but salty lemon, dirty, tart finish with oak and a growing herbal note. Neat dram! But not anymore!

22+22+22+22

EYE/NOSE Visually, light gold tones at first. Strong, fresh and a little grassy on the nose. Citrus zest, as if orange and lemon peel had been rubbed, mixed and lightly sugared. A fine hint of honeydew melon, a little block malt, ground barley and subtle spices. If you give it more time in the glass, salty, maritime 'harbour aromas' come to the fore, reminiscent of the basic character of the Old Pulteneys or some older Bunnahabhains. PALATE On the palate, the new Local Barley impresses with its creaminess at the beginning, as it coats the entire mouth with velvety texture. A strong start. In terms of taste, the typical earthy, 'funkiness' of the (more than) two-and-a-half-times distilled malt mixes with oily, fruity notes that bring a distinct sweetness and spontaneously make me think a little of caramelized mango strips and rum cream. On the palate, I notice less of the saltiness that surprised me on the nose. Overall, the malt seems more settled and therefore more mature than the fresh aromas on the nose would have suggested. The slightly grassy basic tone is also retained in the taste. FINISH/CONCLUSION Wonderfully long, intense aftertaste, where the slightly salty notes are now more clearly apparent. A very successful, balanced malt that manages to do the balancing act of retaining its youthful freshness on the one hand and appearing well-matured and balanced on the other, without foregoing the rough edges that are typical of Springbank. A pleasure that is more distillate-driven than cask-driven, which is, as we know, the exception rather than the rule these days. Everything without fault? Basically yes. Basically yes. If you want to name a weakness, the LB lacks a little complexity, which for my taste also distances it a little from the podium places within the current series of nine malts - including the 2014 Society bottling - with 87/88 points. This leaves the multi-layered 16yo (2016) as leader of the pack, the brilliant 10yo Oloroso (2020) and the intense 9yo (2018) at the top of my little book. More notes and reviews on Facebook: #Maltkanzlei

Definitely not good value for money but nice whisky :), nose is really wonderful for me, pretty complex for it's age, nice mix of casks

good but i can't undestand the price

A really tasty whisky, just a little too little Springbank. Without prior knowledge, I would have puzzled back and forth and probably would not have ended up at the Local Barley in the end. In contrast to the 2021 I would say: better dram but even less springbank. Same points. Full review in a flight of six Campbeltown drams: https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2023/05/10/campbeltowning-3/

Subtly smoky, greasy, farmy, metal workshop, mineral, citric, honey, oak spice, ginger, iodine, butterscotch, vanilla biscuits. Full bodied, Very nice texture, Delicate, creamy, caramel sweetness, warming, zesty (even better with a little water) although somewhat youthful (on the plus side) this edition is balanced and leans in the cool direction.

Delicious drinking whisky like all Local Barleys; Sherry doesn't come through, but the influence of the rum cask is clearly noticeable despite only 10% (I think it's good, Springbank + rum fits). Significantly salty note, especially on the palate.

What a beautiful whisky! You will be served a complete package of flavors. I am especially happy with the sourness and a delicious bitterness at the end. Unfortunately, these two are rarely found in modern whiskies. The aftertaste could have been a little longer.

I agree with LeChiffre. It doesn't even come close to living up to the hype. It does nothing wrong and has quite nice moments. Candied pineapple, vanilla sugar, nice maritime (salty sea air), a bit dirty (Springbank Funk). And it stays in the mouth for a long time, especially the saltiness

Retasted Dec 23 Beautiful notes of lime and chalk, very pure, malty and a little sour

A wonderfully pure Springbank, I would guess mostly from refill casks. Sample courtesy of Whiskybase Shop

Mineral peat, a little metallic. Lemon, pineapple, vanilla, a floral touch. Short finish. A discreet, shy dram, the metallic side bothers me a bit, too bad.

Blind work heavy

Needs to breathe out for quite a while

5cl sample, short review N: very floral and fruity, i detect no peat whatsoever, reminiscent of a cask strength Hazelburn but with more depth, pineapples, green apples, big malty nose, a bit of that Springbank dirtiness, filth and stable smells (90) P: initially a bit hot and coserved, with some added water it opens up nicely, very sweet, zesty, orchard fruits with pineapple and some salt, lemon and a metallic note, 0 smoke (86) F: long, lingering, sweet with malt and orchard fruits (86) 90 / 86 / 86 = 87,333 --> 87 pts / 100

Without water he is too good for me. He makes better use of his jumping bank genes with water. But the price is absurd.

second try, not bad but too obvious

Tasting: May 2023

After trying it a couple of times, I can't say otherwise than that this is awesome stuff! Full review at https://maltfascination.com/2023/05/05/springbank-11-2011-2022-local-barley-55-1/

There’s an appealing tropical candied sweetness layered over the saline earthy Springbank distillate, however it doesn’t quite all fuse together - perhaps too young or perhaps overly aggressive casks. The nose is nicely complex and the palate has good density, but on the finish it becomes unbalanced and the wood spices come to the fore. Good individual components that don’t quite add up, but an interesting and distinct dram nonetheless.

I was afraid for the rum and instead Springbank was sublime, as usual

Significant smoke, a strong tendency to rum cask at first, dewy grass and wood vinegar, fruity, relatively complex for age

I finish the bottle. I can say for sure that this is a wonderful whisky. It definitely needs to breathe in the bottle, it definitely suits it. The first nose is a little closed and sour, but then everything is wonderful. It's malt + minerals + perfumed flowers + acacia honey. I would say that the Springbank style is quite recognizable. The longer it breathes in the glass, the more you feel the washed sherry in the nose. The taste is rich malt + tannic, enveloping and sweet. Very pleasant and drinkable. The finish is sour oaky and delicately tannic. At first it seems that it is average. But if you drink it in a full sip, then this is a wonderful malt-oak chewing spirit. I don't know what the aging in rum barrels gave here. But I think it's more about the taste. Although the type of malt was indicated for a reason. Nose - 22 Taste - 23 Finish - 22 Balance - 22 Rating - 89

A fine whisky that I enjoy tasting, but I wouldn't pay more than 100 euros for it.

First tasted this in Campbeltown, just a few weeks before it came out. It was a nice fruity dram upon first impression, seemed to be lacking some complexity, but it was hardly a good environment to get a thorough impression. Tasting this a few weeks later, I must say I am more impressed with the end product. It has all the tasty highlights of the regular 10, but these rum casks make for a fruity sensation. Bottling this output at cask strength adds a lot more layers top, as compared to the regular 10, which is the powerhouse against which all Springbank should be measured. This LB is truly recommendable!

Springbank Tasting, Still, 19.10.2024

After oxidizing for 1 month... It's spectacular. Let the Whiskies breathe.

Mediocre, lacks the characteristics of Springbank, 87 points after adding water

I actually like Springbank, but this one doesn't grab me. I absolutely cannot understand the sometimes absurd prices being asked for this whisky.

Its time for Local Barley 11yo 2022 release. First local barley with some rum component (10% rum, 55% sherry, 35% bourbon). The quality sits here without questions. For me, Local Barley series is quintessence of Springbank DNA, the nose literally takes you back to the distilery. Comparing to 2021 release I would say (from the memory) this one has more minerality notes and its a bit sweeter. After adding a few drops of water, i found some old dusty book but at the same time its getting more sweeter. Lovely dram.

Wonderful creamy citrus nose with tropical twist. Full-bodied, intense and excellent balance on the palate, smooth and pleasant finish. A dream in a glass

N: Vanilla, oily, oak and notes of chocolate. Sweetness as a layer over every scent and alcohol coming hard at the end. T: Alcohol, spicy and some chocolate. The sweetness from the nose is gone and has been taken over by strong alcohol. Some oil can also be found on the palate. W+: Not much difference. W++: Alcohol is finally reduced and a sweet spiciness is taking over. This is not my favorite local barley. I gave it 86p when the bottle was opened. Now at the end of the bottle, not much has evolved. A lot of water is needed to overcome the prominent alcohol.

I'm glad I once again opened an LB and that it was this one. It reminds me a bit of 15yr rum from a few years back. It's still a favorite of mine, so it's no surprise that this one is also high on my list.

This expression is completely different from the 10yo because it is less offensive, hardly any smoke and the presence of an aromatic sweetness. Not a complex whisky, but lots of body.

Nothing extraordinary. Not sure what all this hype is about but this is an 80 euro bottle if you'd ask me. Tried and sat down with it to analyze at whisky fair at limburg.

An exotic whisky that you don't taste every day

Very young but well balanced Springbank for which I would pay up to 75 €.

A dirty Local Barley with some rummy notes, surprised if it's coming from the 10% rum cask makeup or just inherent to the malt, but whatever the case, it's a success.

Outstanding stuff. Very maritime, dry and citrus zesty. Hints of spices and a very good finish…

Great whisky, but too expensive.

Honey, honey cake, cookie dough, peaches, faint smoke on the finish. Very good, perhaps less complex and unique compared to previous editions of local barley.

Sweetness of the spirit is quite intense. But in the finish, It has a dry metallic / earthy feeling.

Taken from a bottle opened a long time ago. The first taste had disappointed me quite a bit, after some time it has improved a lot, both in terms of quality of aromas and complexity. Thanks Maurisso, all thanks to you.

nose: touch smoke, burnt pineapple, funk, bit tar, peppery spice, mouth: oily mouth feel, sweet banana, banana oil, minerality, tea spices, sweet pineapple, finish: long minty fragrant, touch smoke 89 points. Sweet and delicious, you can't taste the 55% alcohol content. Surprisingly sweet, and the secondary market price is also great!

Honestly, I was disappointed. I don't know if it came from the rum cask, but the ammonia, which seemed to come from sulfur, was quite strong. It tasted much worse than the 12cs I was drinking.

Better than some recent years. A good dram, if not amazing. I don't truly get the hype N – funk, farmyard, satsuma, cream, compost, charcoal - 13 P – satsuma, funk, farmyard, silage, orange zest, pepper, chilli powder, red chilli, zest, compost, charcoal, coal – 26 F – coal, satsuma, orange zest, farmyard, manure, funk, compost, saline, orange juice – 25

a rather gentle entry, on lemon sweets and lemon juice, followed by garden fruits

5 cl sample. Copita glass. Canned peaches and pineapples, green apples, summer potpourri, cake icing, some sourdough. Dunnage scents also. Really dynamic and deep. Really good Local Barley release. Obviously, this needs to be tasted within a time of a full bottle being opened.

This is a hype. It is not worth more than 150 euros.

Awesome, coastal, delicious classic Springbank character.

It picks up more Oban characteristics than Springbank. Malty, dry, citrusy, oily.