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
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!