tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post5208194890463574062..comments2024-03-16T11:28:41.525-04:00Comments on Diving for Pearls: Single Malt Report: Springbank 12 year old 2000 Calvados FinishMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02288790197865570681noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-44968396612478000962013-09-17T15:06:45.794-04:002013-09-17T15:06:45.794-04:00The impression that I go is that most sherry casks...The impression that I go is that most sherry casks these days are done custom - the distillery contracts with a bodega to make a new butt, toss some low-grade sherry destined for vinegar in there, sit on it for a few years, then ship the 'seasoned' cask to the distillery. Sherry producers mostly aren't looking for oak extraction, so they'd rather use an umpteenth-fill cask for their good sherry going into the solera systems rather than getting news ones all the time. And since sherry is bottled in Spain, there isn't the usual cycling of sherry casks into Scotland. So they have to be made especially for the distillers, hence the extra cost (about 10x compared to an ex-bourbon barrel) for sherry butts.<br /><br />I expect it would be the same for 'ex-calvados casks'. The calvados distillers don't want new oak covering up their delicate apple flavors, so they're loath to give up well-used casks. Instead, some cheap stuff was probably thrown into new barrels, aged for a few years, dumped, then the casks were shipped to Springbank.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-39325932760417536072013-09-17T00:56:31.403-04:002013-09-17T00:56:31.403-04:00They're even trying to do a website just for K...They're even trying to do a website just for Kilkerran in order to establish it as its own brand. Very modern!<br /><br />I'm sure the marketing department includes the guy who prints out the bottle labels, and that's it.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-38614165082560850992013-09-15T23:03:58.611-04:002013-09-15T23:03:58.611-04:00Springbank has a website? That's good enough ...Springbank has a website? That's good enough for them. As far as 21st century is concerned - their work is done!<br />Whatever they put up there is a bonus anyway. <br /><br />I wonder how the marketing department at Springbank looks like, and what kind of advertising budget they have. When is the last time you saw an add for Springbank? That's like seeing an add for Pappy van Winkle.Florinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14445344658258056628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-85726941794666201562013-09-15T14:37:28.970-04:002013-09-15T14:37:28.970-04:00I may have a source for the Loch Dhu next month. I...I may have a source for the Loch Dhu next month. I'm actually looking forward to the experience. Loch Dhu bottles are difficult to come by (maybe a good thing?) but I've now seen four different stores with old Cu Dubh bottles.<br /><br />I hope you like your Springbank Calvados Finish as much as I did. It's awesome!Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-22961823693256082202013-09-15T14:35:03.757-04:002013-09-15T14:35:03.757-04:00Now, I'm curious about this too. I did imagine...Now, I'm curious about this too. I did imagine them using a big old former Calvados cask since the oak is restrained and maybe even more toasty than charred. Had it been LVMH, we'd be hearing all about the oak and how much sunshine hit the trees in the winter. But Springbank tends not to go into the details much and their website seems to be 5-10 years behind. "Fresh Calvados Casks" is open for interpretation.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-51244510162132083292013-09-15T02:09:06.319-04:002013-09-15T02:09:06.319-04:00Hey Jordan, welcome back! How was Scotland? Do y...Hey Jordan, welcome back! How was Scotland? Do you feel a different person now?<br /><br />What do you mean by custom casks? You mean Springbank sends their ex-bourbon casks over to, say, Domaine Dupont, and asks them to store calvados in them for a couple years and then send them back? That could be, although I've never heard of something like that... This does sound, however, something that would be easily manageable for one of the giants, like Diageo or LVMH, who surely own some large Calvados houses as well.Florinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14445344658258056628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-27648867842390102013-09-15T00:38:07.099-04:002013-09-15T00:38:07.099-04:00More likely they're custom casks seasoned with...More likely they're custom casks seasoned with calvados then shipped over to the distiller.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-31233202304135840332013-09-12T21:33:38.586-04:002013-09-12T21:33:38.586-04:00Time to find some Loch Dhu. A taste of that shoul...Time to find some Loch Dhu. A taste of that should end your string of high scores. Though it somehow got 98 points from Serge on April 1, 2006. Either that was Serge's evil twin writing the review or there's just something about that day...<br /><br />You know, Beltramo's had exactly two... I mean one bottle left of the Calvados Finish left last I checked. I'll leave the last one for others.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215982348779717643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-56301094192443470302013-09-12T17:03:33.514-04:002013-09-12T17:03:33.514-04:00I'll have to check my Springbank shelf, I migh...I'll have to check my Springbank shelf, I might have gotten one Calvados finish too but if I did, it definitely wasn't over $100. This might be my next bottle to open now, I told you I'm overdue a CS Springbank!<br /><br />I always wondered about Calvados finishes. They sound so cool, so different, so French. But...<br /><br />Did you see a picture of a Calvados cask? There are two things about them: first, traditionally they are huge, we are talking 2,000 liters, maybe more. Second, they reuse them forever, probably half of the existing ones were still there when Napoleon reigned. They don't want wood character in Calvados, they want the apple flavor - plus, they don't like to throw things away. So, what is the whisky going to get out of them? Most likely though, they are dismantled and reshaped into hogsheads for whisky use, which would make some sense.<br /><br />Between these and the ex-plum brandy casks used to great effect in the Hibiki 12, it seems that there's a lot of potential in cross-pollination with fruit brandy... Expect a "Glenmorangie Honfleur" coming up soon...Florinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14445344658258056628noreply@blogger.com