Springbank and Port…You Can’t Really Go Wrong!

Springbank’s craft approach to making whisky is legendary. Some of the expressions coming out of the distillery are downright fabulous. Besides the excellent core expressions (with a special mention given to the 12 Year Old Cask Strength and the phenomenal 15 Year Old), there is the fascinating Wood Expressions series where the spirit is matured for a few years in refill bourbon casks, then transferred into a specific type of wood barrel for a very long second maturation (the shortest being the Longrow Barolo Wood with 1.5 years in in the Barolo, but I think that’s because of the peat getting lost over time, and the longest is the Calvados Wood with 6 years in the second maturation). The exception, of course, is the Bourbon Wood, where the whisky spent 12 years in an ex bourbon cask.

The Port Wood is a 1989 vintage which spent 12 years in an ex bourbon cask, then two years in port pipes.

Photo Credit: thewhiskyempire.com

Photo Credit: thewhiskyempire.com

Springbank Wood Expressions 14 Year Old Port Wood (52.8% ABV, NCF, NC)

Appearance: Gold with a rose tinge, slow and thin legs.

Nose: Powerful nose which needs water from the onset. Licorice, spice, orange, red wine, light balsamic, nutmeg, slight smokiness, milk chocolate, nougat, coffee and peaches. It needs a lot of time to open.

Palate: Sweet brown sugar, pepper, nutmeg, orange peel, notes of Cointreau, clover and pound cake in a full bodied whisky.

Linger: Spice up in the throat, a tangy tingle on the inside of the cheeks and a spicy sweetness on the tongue.

Conclusion

Complex and interesting, yet shy and reserved. Not a quick dram, this one needs attention and patience.

I had the pleasure of bringing this bottle to the Malt Mongers Israel Port themed Meeting!

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