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Спелая купажная выдержка на бочках хереса, портвейна, рома и бурбона — тёмные фрукты, кожа, дуб. Опытные отмечают яркий, но быстро выдыхающийся аромат и разбалансирующие древесно-вяжущие тона; остальные хвалят богатство, но сходятся на слабом послевкусии.
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В аромате — тёмные и сушёные фрукты (инжир, финики, изюм, чернослив, чёрная смородина, ежевика), морская солёность и минеральность, шоколад, тоффе, кожа, влажная древесина, специи (корица, гвоздика, кардамон, душистый перец) и заметная сладость с оттенком марципана; торфяной и дымный характер за 21 год почти выветрился. Вкус маслянистый и насыщенный: тёмные фрукты, кофе и горький шоколад, пряный дуб, солёность, орехи и земляные тона, но нередко его выводят из равновесия сухие вяжущие танины. Послевкусие сухое и пряное, с черносливом, какао и ментолом, у многих короче и невыразительнее ожидаемого от такого возраста.
Опытные ревьюеры единодушны в главной претензии: слишком сложная комбинация бочек (30% бурбон, 30% ром, 25% херес, 15% портвейн) местами не срастается — португальские и ромовые бочки дают агрессивную древесно-вяжущую хвостовую ноту, не интегрированную в цельный характер Springbank, а мощный первоначальный аромат у одного из них выдохся буквально за пять минут. Их оценки держатся в диапазоне 87–91, чаще 88. Остальные авторы благосклоннее (в основном 89–91): хвалят округлость, многослойность и постоянно меняющийся аромат, которому нужно долго раскрываться (до 40 минут), но соглашаются, что дерево, херес и портвейн подавляют фирменный «грязновато-лимонный» солёный характер винокурни, а послевкусие могло быть выразительнее; отдельно и опытные, и прочие отмечают, что высокая цена не оправдана. Согласованность оценок высокая — разброс узкий, расхождение скорее в тоне: опытные строже к разбалансированности, остальные снисходительнее к богатству и питкости.
As nice as it begins in the nose, it ends in a comparatively weak way. You won't even be able to blame it on the fancy barrel combination (by the way: perverse color for an original Springbank bottling) - or maybe you can? How would the finish have been with a clear focus on one, maximum two types of casks? 60/40 or 50/50 instead of 30/30/25/15? Idle thought, of course. In the end it doesn't matter, but 21 years in the barrel, that should have some effect on the finish.
| Нос |
90 |
A cautious nose at the beginning ... which then turns up noticeably: red berry mix, dried figs and dates, sea spray. There is a mineral base note, although not very pronounced. Very sweet, very fruity, a sandwich with cherry jam comes to mind. Later, as a counterpoint, spiced plum compote and a touch of furniture polish. Toffee and nougat chocolate round off. |
| Вкус |
88 |
Starts dry and sweet with fruit notes of overripe blackberries and currants. Spicy wood, a hint of liquorice and menthol accompany the berries. Malt, brown rock sugar, caramel. |
| Финиш |
87 |
Still medium-length finish - and thus shorter than expected and hoped for. Pickled plums, candied apple, cardamom, dark chocolate. And off with a touch of menthol. |
[October, 2020] What a "Frankenstein concoction" as a friend puts it - so the question is: Was this an intentional mix or did they have to balance out some too aggressive maturations as it happens often with port or rum casks? I am not afraid to buy a bottle because this release looks very interesting to explore, at least... ...and at last! Clearly, some of the casks matured way too aggressively and added a lot of bitter-astringent tannic notes - wood-heads might enjoy these but I prefer balanced malts over liquid woods. But the most fascinating encounter was a bold and impressive nose that vanished almost completely within five minutes of breathing, very strange. All in all an interesting dram to have from time to time but I do not ask for a second one in a row, usually.
| Нос |
89 |
The colour is very dark at brown sherry and the nose offers a bold profile, as expected (I use a big spherical blender's glass for nosing, only). The most dominating impressions are the sherry aromas together with some substantial wooden notes while the rum is very shy and I do not get any malt- or port-induced aromas at all. This profile changes significantly upon breathing - the power of the first impressions vanishes quickly as do the sherry-induced aromas but the others do not occupy the space provided now. Instead, this nose somewhat collapses to a shy and rather unimpressive profile after about five minutes of oxidation - I had the first score at 91+points and now it is 88-points, unfortunately. Still it is fine and somewhat complex but it takes both time and trained olfactory cells to get the aromas now. This is one of the fastest "vanishing noses" I ever experienced, so hurry to enjoy the first sniffs right after serving... |
| Вкус |
89 |
The taste is quite complex as can be expected from such a mix but the bitter wooden notes drive it out of balance, according to my taste buds (only). Heavy wood-heads might enjoy this but lovers of balanced drams should shy away unless they deliberately want to experience such wood-driven maturations. It is interesting to explore but the drinking enjoyment is somewhat limited (to me) - sometimes it tastes great but then all of a sudden the extreme tannins kill the enjoyment (again and again). As with most of these heavy wood-driven releases forget about adding water - it flattens the nice flavours further but strengthens the anyway too aggressive wooden notes. |
| Финиш |
85 |
The dram arrives a little hot on the palate which turns quickly into a satisfying warmth but the coating effect is limited. Instead a significant drying-astringent feeling takes place from heavy tannins, obviously (as could be expected given the bold wooden notes in the nose). To me this is distracting, clearly. The finish is of medium length and keeps these drying-astringent moments until the very end. Coming back to my initial question: Yes, some of the rum and/or port casks matured too aggressively as to be released separately without some soothing sherry and bourbon casks added. So it is a "Frankenstein concoction", indeed! |
https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2021/12/07/the-whisky-show-2021-part-8-11-springbank/ I last tried Springbank 21 in 2018 [WLP87]. This is last year’s bottling [2020] that consists of 30% bourbon, 30% rum, 25% sherry, and 15% port casks, married together for one year. N: What an immaculate blend of casks that is. Beautiful nose, salty again. T: Desirable dryness,.. clean, complex,.. slightly rubbery though with less ‘funk’ than you might sometimes find/expect with Springbank. Again, cask blend-wise, there’s a harmony here. Take note though, I didn’t find this the greatest swimmer. F: More funky vibes towards the tail with a dense/packed-in spiciness which would no doubt loosen up with time in glass and bottle. Little of the smoke/phenols have survived those 21+ years. C: The cleaner side of Springbank,.. until the sherry kicks in at the end. Scores 88 points
нос 90 · вкус 90 · финиш 89
Delicious, albeit reduced, but well-balanced compote
нос 91 · вкус 90 · финиш 90
The distillery character is still there subliminally, but you can tell the age. Much rounder than younger bottlings. 91-100 – whisky heaven, best stuff
нос 92 · вкус 90 · финиш 91
| Нос |
87 |
|
| Вкус |
89 |
IT: 89 B: 90 |
| Финиш |
88 |
|
Too much cask fiddling for me. The first 75% of Springbank enjoyment when nosing and drinking is quite spot on, then it gets unbalanced with port and sherry forming a tail that is not integrated in the whisky. That's the point when it loses me. Only a 5cl sample and I don't need more...
нос 89 · вкус 86 · финиш 85
нос 91 · вкус 89 · финиш 88
Round and pleasing on the nose, massive and somewhat unbalanced in the mouth, the finish should be more expressive, but it makes the whole thing really tasty.
| Нос |
90 |
set and ripe, rich fruit aromas, some oak and hardly any signs of smoke, juicy raisins and prunes, banana, cinnamon and clove dust, pear and apple, aromatic honey, occasionally marzipan, pine resin, caramel and molasses, slightly oily and chocolatey, orange, salt and malt, hazelnut, vanilla, cherry, traces of yeast and chalk, apricot |
| Вкус |
89 |
Vanilla and fruit, spicy oak with cinnamon, banana and raisins, the age comes into its own, cherry and plum liqueur, very oily and salty, sour and bitter elements, caramel and hazelnut, sandalwood, some tobacco and earthy espresso, molasses, apricot, leather |
| Финиш |
88 |
warm and spicy, sherry and raisins, cinnamon and old oak, cherry and prune, earthy and oily with some salty hints, hazelnuts, caramel and vanilla, pine resin, apple and chocolate with a good portion of cocoa, leather and pepper, honey |
A very nice whisky, I realy like the old leather and dried fruit in it. I allways look at price versus quality and ask myself would I buy it? For this bottle the answer is simple, no. Upto about 250 euro ok but what I see on the right of my screen at the moment is absurd, so no it is. There are more good whiskies at reasonable prices.
нос 90 · вкус 88 · финиш 89
нос 89 · вкус 87 · финиш 88
Here is another liquid cigar.
Even if the different types of casks dominate in my opinion, the typically dirty and lemony springbank character is present and wonderfully integrated for me. The selection and marriage of the different barrel types gives this bottling varied and multi-layered moments of pleasure. Tastes and I like it very much! 23/22/23/23 (91P)
Tried in the 1920s Blenders glass. Incredibly exciting change from nose to mouth. If the nose still has a lot of fruit and freshness to offer, the rather heavy and earthy aromas come into play in the mouth. No sharpness at any point. For me another fantastic 21-man springbank.
| Нос |
92 |
With 46% it is possible to take a full nose and smell the intense, dark fruit aromas. Sweet wood provides the framework for kisch, espresso and chocolate. With more oxygen, strawberries and marzipan, sour cherries, rose hips and red fruit tea are added. In the background there are strong oak tones, damp ship planks, leather and brine. Spices also slowly come to the fore, allspice, clove and star anise. There are also associations with cognac and rum. A nose that is wonderfully complex and in this case definitely benefits from the 46%. |
| Вкус |
92 |
Fresh and intense oak at the same time. Coffee notes, dark chocolate. The fruit takes a back seat. Apricot and ripe peaches mix with chocolate. Green walnut, espresso beans, Darjeeling, dried shitake mushrooms, prunes. |
| Финиш |
89 |
Dry, long, dominated by the oak barrel. No bitterness, very dry. |
нос 91 · вкус 90 · финиш 88
нос 90 · вкус 90 · финиш 87
Extremely good springbank at a high price that evaporated under the counter
| Нос |
92 |
Forest fruits, strong sherry and sweetness, very complex with many aromas |
| Вкус |
91 |
A lot of sherry, wonderful sweetness, very light smoke, hardly any maritime notes |
| Финиш |
86 |
Leaving maritime, remains fruity, raisins, cloves, cardamom |
нос 89 · вкус 90 · финиш 90
Quite good, especially the nose. But the price will ruin it for most drinkers.
нос 92 · вкус 90 · финиш 89
нос 90 · вкус 89 · финиш 89
Delicious whisky, which, however, has a lot of wood and thus upsets the basic aroma that tends to be very sweet. But what seems even more difficult for me: the Springbank-typical aromas are almost completely buried under it. I don't think I would have blindly bet on Springbank here.
нос 89 · вкус 89 · финиш 88
You always expect extravaganza from Springbank 21, but unfortunately it did not happen here. Either the shortage of barrels affected, or it is simply not in my taste and understanding. In body and finish, I was too strongly associated with rum. Thanks to Kegelbogen for the sample
| Нос |
89 |
Dirty sherry nose, juicy. Raisins and dried fruits, citruses in oil, dry wood |
| Вкус |
88 |
Fermented compote with dried fruits, smoked plums, wood. Perhaps rum barrels gave excessive ringing dryness |
| Финиш |
87 |
Dry, spices, grape skins and wine solids |
нос 90 · вкус 90 · финиш 89
нос 89 · вкус 88 · финиш 88
From my point of view, a successful marriage of the different barrel types. Even if port and sherry dominate in my first impression, you will find - especially in the nose - an enormous number of flavors that coexist and that change over and over again.
| Нос |
91 |
Sweet-fruity, sour, with blackberries and nuts, wine gum and salty liquorice. Changes again and again over time and also the distance between the nose and the glass;) |
| Вкус |
90 |
Oily, strong start with pepper, a bit sweet, but then leather, earthy aromas, dark chocolate, a little caramel and salt quickly dominate |
| Финиш |
90 |
long, becoming significantly more bitter with orange jam, musty cellar, pepper, salt and dark red fruits |
very chaotic and I believe that mix is way too much
Needs time to open up and develop, the cask make up seems a little crazy and its incredibly dark considering the limited sherried content but that slaps you in the face on first contact. If you dont allow time you'll enjoy but wont benefit from the complexity in this dram. Sherry blanket initially, but after 40 minutes (yes really) the port bourbon and rum spirits join in the dance
Very confused at first, with all parts fighting for dominance. Complex whisky that needs time to be picked apart and savoured.
| Нос |
91 |
Dark fruits including blackcurrants and blackberries. Bonfire/cinder toffee. Parkin and Jamaican gingerbread. Black treacle. Warehouse/dockyard - dusty and oily. |
| Вкус |
91 |
Buttered, baked goods - croissant with butter and a dark fruit jam. Sticky toffee pudding. Treacle. Little smoke and funk. |
| Финиш |
92 |
Long and constantly changing. Dark fruits compote into treacle and toffee. Some honeycomb, then coffee notes, and finishes on cinnamon and clove. |
нос 90 · вкус 91 · финиш 90
нос 91 · вкус 88 · финиш 89
Overall comment: scbp-5732. The fat and smoke are too heavy, the taste and flavor are slightly salty, and the defects are obvious. The wine is weak. The smoky feeling in the mouth feels a certain surprise. It would be better if there were more fruity flavors and strength to balance the oil quality in the smell and the taste of salty sauce.
| Нос |
86 |
Smell the fragrance: The theme is the whiteness and emptiness brought by the smoke from the nose, the fatty lamb skewers, and the feeling of heavy grease. The complexity is not bad. There is a clear fruity taste of ripe pineapple against the background of fat, freshness of bonito flakes, salty aroma of minerals, and some grilled vegetables and kimchi radish in sauce. In addition to the main line, there is also a bitter western medicine cold oral liquid, wormwood. But there is no flavor that can keep up with the oiliness. |
| Вкус |
88 |
Taste: strong saltiness and throughout the whole process, a lot of soy sauce roasted meat, a little pineapple, apple, barbecue sauce. The smoky sensation is moderately weak, but it is full of vitality and can be clearly perceived. In addition, there are spices such as moderate sesame pepper and mint. The wine is moderately light, which is surprising. The oily feel is medium, the flavor is salty and sauce, the overall strength is less, less sour and sweet, and the defects are quite obvious, but in terms of flavor intensity and corresponding ease of drinking, it should be a little bit away from excellent, but not too far . |
| Финиш |
87 |
Aftertaste: long and salty, salt, pepper, grease, motor oil, mint. |
нос 92 · вкус 89 · финиш 88
нос 89 · вкус 92 · финиш 92
This is really quite nice. This does better as it spends more time in the glass. Definitely not something to pour if you’ll finish the dram in short order, but if you’ll be working on it for a while, it’s a great choice.
| Нос |
92 |
Fruity, malty, nutty. Rust, orange, leather, damp wood. Custard later. |
| Вкус |
88 |
Intense fruit, chocolate (kind of like a jelly-filled chocolate when they combine). Oak, dried fruit. Dirty, earthy. |
| Финиш |
92 |
Nutty, sweet/syrupy. Coffee. Long. |
нос 91 · вкус 90 · финиш 89