Springbank Week – Part V: Springbank 9 Year Old Gaja Barolo Wood Finish Whisky Tasting Notes

Barolo is an Italian red wine, name specific to a region of Piedmont around the commune of Barolo. It’s produced form the Nebbiolo grape in the  province of Cuneo and is a bright red, with darkening hues as it ages. Interestingly, a “purist” war is also waging in the Barolo community over the use of smaller barrique barrels to speed up the very long aging this wine normally requires – up to a decade – not unlike our own purist wars over innovations in whisky. 

Nebbiolo Vineyard in the early morning fog (Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/58533294@N00/5062003408)

This Springbank is a 9 year old, distilled in 2004 and spent four years in bourbon casks, at which point it was transferred into Barolo casks sourced from the Gaja winery founded in 1859 and still in family hands.  Gaja uses both barriques and large casks, and which were used for the finish isn’t mentioned.
So how did the finish do?

Springbank 9 Year Old Gaja Barolo Wood (54.7% ABV, NCF, NC)

2004 Gaja Barolo Wood
(Photo credit: thewhiskyexchange.com)

Color: Amber, long thin legs running slowly down the glass.

Nose: Dry white wine (surprising, considering that the Barolo is red), cookie dough, malt, dried fruit, nutmeg and honey.

Palate: Very dry and tannic, dried fruit, sour notes, pepper and marshmallow.

Linger: Medium with pepper and tannin notes.

 Conclusion

Interesting and different from the regular whisky produced by this fine distillery.

Is it as good as the top of their range (the 12CS and the 15)?  Nope, but I’m not sure it’s intended to compete with them…

It would be a very interesting tasting to have this finish butt heads with the Glenmorangie Companta and the Glen Moray 10 Year Old Chardonnay.