Willett Week: Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye 4 years old, Barrel #85

Continuing within Autumn's Willett Welcome Wagon, I present my current open bottle of Willett Rye, another four year old, this time from Barrel number 85.  I tried this one alongside yesterday's 4yo from Barrel 82, a silky oaky take on the LDI/MGP good stuff.

Bottler: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (formerly Willett Distilling Company)
Brand: Willett Family Estate Single Barrel

Age: 4 years

Maturation: New American Oak

Region: Bardstown, Kentucky (spirit distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana)
Barrel: 85
Bottle: 160/228

Alcohol by Volume: 55%

The color is the same as yesterday's rye: maple syrup (pronounced "sih-ruhp", "sih-rip", or "surp" depending on where you're from).  Woo! the nose is peppy. Much more spirity than Barrel 82. Black pepper, cherries, and a slight yeasty pretzel-like note.  There's cantaloupe, toffee, mint chocolate chip ice cream, mint Listerine, and spicy basil. From the oak there's a little vanilla, a little salted caramel, and some pencils.  The heat does cool off with some time, revealing something that reminds me of the GlenDronach single casks, like dense chocolatey sherry.  The palate holds lots of spicy zip.  LOTS of anise. Cherry liqueur, mint leaves, baking chocolate, and sweet black licorice.  There's also something a little grassy in there, floating along in sweet brandy.  The finish gets a little salty and savory. Beyond that lies plenty of peppery spice, more anise and mint leaves.  It has that old Robotussin thing, like black cherry meets anise (again).  The finish seems slightly shorter than #82 without the sticky oak.

Kristen says this one is a little fruitier with more subtle vanilla, and a much hotter nose.

Yesterday's (#82) and today's (#85) barrels appeal in different ways to different temperaments and different moods.  The oak was much more reserved in #85, allowing the rye distillate to run loose.  The spirit isn't overbearing, but it does like to tussle.  I guess I'm comparing whiskey to dogs now.  While Barrel #82 is a heavy lapdog that'll chew through the couch from time to time, Barrel #85 will poop in the refrigerator and eat the whole wheel of cheese. "Actually, I’m not even mad. That’s amazing.”

Availability - Many US liquor specialists

Pricing - $35-$40 (East Coast, Midwest), $40-$45 (West Coast)

Rating - 92

It's Willett Week! -- Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye 4 years old, Barrel #82

With the equinox behind us, and the temperature climbing to 88 92 today, I've decided to welcome in (or encourage the arrival of) Autumn with five days of Willett single barrel straight rye.  LDI/MGP's 95% rye mashbill is at the heart of the whisky of preference in my household, thus Kristen also lent her nose to all five of these ryes.

Please note: These are not the fancy premium Willetts of lore.  No "Doug" or "Iron Fist" or "Velvet Glove".  Those whiskies are very rare and very expensive.  The ryes I'm weighing in on this week are the ones we can often find at our favorite retailers for prices in the double digits, hopefully not more than $45.  I'll go in age and barrel order.

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MONDAY:

FAMILY ESTATE SINGLE BARREL STRAIGHT RYE - 4 YEARS OLD - BARREL #82

Bottler: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (formerly Willett Distilling Company)
Brand: Willett Family Estate Single Barrel

Age: 4 years

Maturation: New American Oak

Region: Bardstown, Kentucky (spirit distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana)
Barrel: 82

Alcohol by Volume: 55%

(thanks to Florin for the sample!)

The color stays pretty consistent amongst these ryes, almost always of a maple syrup hue.  The nose is loaded with brown baking spices -- a loaf of cinnamon, cloves, and brown sugar. Oh, and some sticky gooey bread pudding. Tons of vanilla as well, along with mint and milk chocolate.  It's also a little briney and there's some toasted rye bread in the mix too.  Confectioner's sugar meets leather shoes. Lots of oak, from bark to pulp. Finally......let's do the time warp......I'm back in Hebrew School (specifically, second grade on Tuesday and Thursday nights) when they brought in Israeli carob bark and dates. I wasn't crazy about that stuff then, but its flavor is in this rye's nose.  Less time travel necessary for the palate. Smoky oak. Salted cucumbers and caramel sauce. Vanilla beans and bread pudding. It's sweeter and fruitier than I remember Willett rye to usually be.  But there's still the black cherry soda syrup and Robotussin (the good kind with the alcohol in the '80s) notes.  Big oak and big spirit in the finish.  Salt and sweets, along with peppery spices, linger long. After a little while, caramel candies and orange zest arise.

Kristen says it smells like vanilla and nice warm things.

That probably sells it better than my tl;dr notes above.

Compared to the rye I'll post about tomorrow, this one is much oakier and mellower.  It puts up less of a fight, less of a headbutt to the mouth, than other Willett ryes.  While I like (probably more than is healthy) the Willett wallop, barrel #82's silky delivery is very welcoming.  Approved.

Availability - Many US liquor specialists

Pricing - $35-$40 (East Coast, Midwest), $40-$45 (West Coast)

Rating - 92

Summer Whiskey Report: Power's John's Lane 12 year old Single Pot Still

You're saying to yourself, "Didn't he just report on a sample of this stuff four months ago?"

And I say, "Thanks for reading my blog!"  Hypothetically, if I had posted about it, I would have ended said presupposed report saying I would study it further.  Now I have.

This was my other summer whiskey, in whole bottle form:

Another great gift from my in-laws, Andrew and Leslie!

Brand: Power's
Style: Single Pot Still
Distillery: Midleton
Age: at least 12 years (up to 14 years)
Maturation: mostly first* fill ex-bourbon barrels, along with some oloroso sherry butts (*though another official site says second fill)
Country: Ireland
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Colored? Likely

Since we may have been here before with this whisky, I'm going to skip with the history lesson (which can be found on the post I may have done in May).

Right up front I'm going to say, this does not make for the best hot weather whiskey.  It's not light, it's not bright and fruity.  Going through this bottle only proves my original estimation that this whiskey is brooder, not a perky party girl.

As with yesterday's whisky, having a whole bottle allowed me to do more than a single study.  And lining it up next to the lightweight Glen Ord helped highlight its characteristics.

NEAT

The color is a dark yellow gold.  The nose leads with a combo of rubber cement, toffee, and fudge.  A whole lot of that.  Digging deeper, one may find whole wheat bread crust, pipe tobacco, barrel char, something figgy, vanilla, talcum powder, red berries in caramel sauce, and chewing gum.  I found little sign of the sherry butts, but there is still quite an alcohol tingle to it.  The palate is malty and sweet, having a bit of the toffee & fudge character from the nose.  There's also black coffee, oats, hot cereal, butter, brine, and chlorine.  Something green and grassy lingers underneath and there's a sharpness that feels a bit younger than the whiskey's age.  The extensive finish carries with it a citric sting.  There's more of the hot cereal character, topped with butter, caramel, and bananas.

WITH WATER

Those nose has gotten more expressive -- bigger, fruitier, gummier.  Orange bubble gum in fact.  Bright spices, cardamom in molasses.  There's nougat with the fudge now, and also something lightly perfumy.  Meanwhile the palate has gotten milder, but it's still very malty.  A little sweeter and easier.  Very reminiscent of my favorite Power's blend, minus the rougher spots.  It finishes mild and malty as well.  Some tartness and bitterness have snuck in.  It's also lightly herbal, perhaps juniper?

Sometimes we think a whisky is difficult to decipher because we assess it to be dense and cryptic.  And sometimes it's really because the whisky is just closed up tight.  Though in my previous estimation I'd said water didn't help the John's Lane 12 year, I am going to contradict myself.  That wall I'd previously kept hitting with the whiskey was largely because the nose can be very closed up when sniffed neatly.  It resulted in me knocking this sucker down a half star at the start of this tasting.  But then I tried it with a little water and the nose perked right up.  After the hydration the palate loosened up just a bit but mostly turned itself into the classic Power's blend (but better).  That may not appeal to you like it appeals to me.

This is still some tense stuff, it's not the most casual of drinks.  I'd take it over most single malts, but I still prefer all the Redbreasts over it.  The Redbreasts, even at cask strength are much more expressive.  If you do spring for Power's John's Lane 12 year, I recommend giving it 15 or more minutes in the glass, and a little water after you've tried it neat.

Pricewise, $65 is sort of pushing things.  That's higher than the cask strength version of Redbreast 12, and about the same price as Redbreast 15 year old (bottled at 46% ABV and unchillfiltered).  If it's actually a limited bottling then perhaps the price would make sense, but I haven't read anything about a short supply.  At $80 forget it, especially when you can still get two bottles of RB12 for that price via some retailers.

There is a younger NAS version of the Powers pot still ("Signature Release") that hit The States this month (also 46% ABV), it retails for $40-$50.  If I do get my hands on it, I'll try to limit it to one report......per year.

Availability - Specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - $65-$80
Rating - 90 (right on the edge, and please consider my usual Irish bias)

Summer Whisky Report: The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 years old

Kristen and I have discovered we are cold weather people.  We like cold weather food, cold weather beverages, and cold weather clothing.  We were born in Upstate New York.  We live in Southern California.  Such is life.  Whenever the stork does deliver us a child or two, we will likely search out a new home in a place that has four seasons.

But even in places with four seasons, Summer does pass through annually.  Seasons, especially the molten center of Summer, disregard the calendar, so no matter where we go The Heat will plant its fat ass in the air for a number of months before trudging off to hibernate.  And, for me, most whiskies do not drink well in The Heat.  Since Scotch and Irish booze originates in Celsius Land, I'm going to say when the air hits 30°C (86°F for the rest of us) beer and cold cocktails feel more appealing. (As far as storage goes, I try to keep the whisky below 25°C in our warm home.)

I still keep a couple whisk(e)y bottles open in the summer.  I aim for lighter, fruitier, 40-46%ABV, non-peated stuff.  It's an ongoing experiment each year, trying to sort out what works best.  Since the calendar says summer is ending this week, I shall present y'all with a pair of this year's summer whiskies.

Today's whisky:

THE SINGLETON OF GLEN ORD 12 YEARS OLD

No filters or Instagrammage on this one.
Our kitchen was glowing with Magic Hour light
and my iPhone camera behaved.
The whisky itself, though, had been chill-filtered generously.

Diageo has designed/built/enumerated "The Singleton" brand as a starter single malt for those folks graduating to more flavorful malts from Diageo's hitlist of blander blends.  [Dang it, I couldn't get through one sentence without picking on Diageo. Seriously though, there are blended whiskies out there that are full of flavor, and single malts totally lacking the same.]  Three distilleries contribute to "The Singletons": Glendullan for the North American market, Dufftown for the European market, and Glen Ord for the Pacific market.

I've had plenty of The Singleton of Glendullan.  It's harmless, very drinkable, but a bit on the GlenDULLan side.  Having read a number of reviews saying that The Singleton of Dufftown is not much better, if not worse, I haven't been in a hurry to source a sample of that one.  But I had heard a number of positive things about The Singleton of Glen Ord.

Last November, my wife GENEROUSLY grabbed a bottle of The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 year old from the Duty Free shop at Sydney International Airport and spirited it back to me safely.  I held off opening it until the summer.  The first week of July, to be more specific.

Distillery: Glen Ord

Brand: The Singleton
Owner: Diageo

Age: minimum 12 years

Maturation: likely a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks

Region: Northern Highlands

Alcohol by Volume: 40%
Bottling Date: Feb 2012 (L2050)
Chillfiltration? Yes
Colorant? Absolutely

I may need to qualify the notes below.  Since this whisky is from my own bottle, I was able to do two focused tastings (alongside tomorrow's reviewed dram) thus the long laundry list of characteristics I found.  I'm including this disclaimer because I don't want there to be any assumption that I have an above average sniffer.  I don't.  Instead, I have a whole bottle to play with, rather than a 30mL sample.  Now, back to the important stuff.

NEAT

The color is a rosy copper. Really, Diageo? You really needed to put that much e150a into this in order to convince people it was whisky? And the bottle is GREEN, thus potential customers can't even see the whisky's color. But never fear, the nose is gorgeous.  It starts with orange oil, lots of it.  Then brandied cherries, blackberry jam, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, strawberry Bubble Yum, and bananas (not the skins). So much fruit! There's also Junmai ginjo-shu sake (our favorite!), syrupy sweet dessert wine, and gummy bears.  Contrasting all those purdy smells are notes of (human) sweat and damp moss.  Fewer fruits on the palate.  Bananas, lime rind, and maybe some orange zest.  There's also milk chocolate, lots of granulated sugar, caramel, and brine.  More towards my preferred palate, a farmy note shows up from time to time; think hot used hay.  The texture is watery, so it makes one wonder what this one would be like at 43%ABV.  The finish is very sweet.  Sugar and honey.  A little dryness and bitterness in the background.  The farmy note, cut grass, brine, and generic citrus notes hang around for a while.

WITH WATER

The nose stays very pungent with lots of citrus.  Mostly oranges and orange candies too.  Lighter notes of lemon rind, citrus muffins, pineapple, and vanilla extract in the back.  Oranges again on the palate.  Whipped butter, flower blossoms, and fresh herbs (maybe oregano?) as well.  Overall, it's quite sweet.  The sweetness continues through the short and plain finish.  A curious mocha note in there.  And as far as the oranges go, it's mostly pith and pulp.

When I first opened the bottle, the main characteristics were of fresh berries......just like official printed description told me.  Early in the bottle there was a mild peaty note (more straightforward than the farmy one) but the fruits are carrying the day now that bottle is past its midpoint.

The nose is a four-star party.  The palate is decent, inoffensive as it was likely designed to be.  It's very watery in the mouth thanks to the 40% ABV, similar to a lot of cheap blends.  It's a pisser they didn't at least try to bottle it at 43%; I mean, who would that have hurt?

As it is, served neatly in its light state, it makes for an easy drinker in these hot late summer weeks.  As it's already so watered down, adding water doesn't help much.  An icy highball of it holds little character.

When it comes to my malt preferences, was Diageo successful with this brand?  Sort of.  The nose proved that Glen Ord can generate some fun whisky.  I hope to explore this distillery further, but via independent bottlers.

Availability - Asia & Oceania
Pricing - A wide range, from $40 to $80 depending on the country
Rating - 82

Single Malt Report: Springbank 12 year old 2000 Calvados Finish

If you think I've posted a lot of high ratings these past two weeks, you would be correct.  I used to hand out four stars more generously at the start of the whisky reports, then lessened as I gained more malty experience.  Discounting my re-tries of old favorites, I'm averaging less than one 88+ report a month.  Now I'm about to give my third one in two weeks.  It's not because I'm in a super duper happy mood (which I'm not), it is because I'm a really big Springbank geek.  And of these five recently reviewed Springbanks, this one is my favorite.

Distillery: Springbank
Brand: Springbank

Owner: Springbank Distillers Ltd.

Age: 12 years (Apr 1997 - Oct 2012)

Maturation: refill bourbon barrels for the first 6 years
Finish: fresh Calvados casks (probably toasted French Oak) for the next 6 years

Region: Campbeltown

Alcohol by Volume: 52.7%
Limited Bottling: 9,420 bottles

From a sample purchased at Master of Malt -- served neatly in a Glencairn glass:

The color is medium gold.  The nose......from my notes: "Wow. Ripe piney peat stank." Industrial machine oil and grease.  But at the same time there's what I imagine a 120-proof Calvados to smell like, a deep strong tart apple spirit.  Behind that is some barrel char from the American oak.  Then pencil lead, rubber bands, vanilla, new sneakers, and sour apple candy.  Gets more syrupy and ashy with time.  The palate is simpler, but hits every note solidly.  Fresh apples first, then a peat wallop (something between Ardbeg and Kilchoman).  Toasty oak, vanilla creme, fresh pears, and whole grain fruit muffins.  A sharp youthful alcohol bite remains after 12 years.  A bitter-tea-meets-vanilla-bean note grows stronger with time in the glass.  Apple shisha and green grapes hit first in the huge finish.  The peat starts off light then keeps expanding and expanding.  The bitter tea notes edges its way in after a while.  More apples.  Juice from canned pears.

First off, if you don't like calvados this ain't your whisky.  I'm one of those folks who always liked calvados, but didn't know how to pronounce it correctly until last year.  It's CAL-vados, not cal-VA-dos.  I can now be a snob about that too!

Secondly, SKU from Recent Eats was right, this whisky hauls out considerable peat.  Of all the Longrows (Springbank's heavily peated brand) I've tried, only the CV (rest in peace) competes with this phenolic punch.

The price on it is plum nonsense for 12 year old whisky, but ignoring age for a moment (if we can), the quality is considerable.  The combo of high phenolics, French apple brandy, two different oaks with two different char/toast levels, and industrial grease doesn't work on paper, but it works in the glass.  It's never too sweet, too tart, nor too bitter and the seemingly disparate elements play well together.  It almost allows me to forgive Springbank for taking the shovel to Longrow CV.  Almost.

I'll be honest, I hate posting this review.  The more positive reviews this whisky gets, the already very few remaining bottles are going to vanish before I can nab one.  So a personal note to those in Southern California, DO NOT buy any more bottles of this......until I give you the green light.  'kay?  Thanks.  :-)

I'm kidding (but not really though), you so-and-sos.  Drink up.  Seriously, if you buy it, drink it.  Don't be hoarding for the apocalypse or the secondary market.  Because often the latter seems to be leading to the former.

Availability - Here and There, though more so There (aka UK)
Pricing - $105-$125 (Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu-----------)
Rating - 92

Single Malt Report: Longrow 11 year old 2001 Rundlets and Kilderkins

Though I did say I was going to drop some more Springbank on ya, here's some Longrow......which is technically from Springbank Distillery, so I wasn't totally lying.  And!  And it's a whisky that was released this year!  I'm so on top of things.

LONGROW 11 YEAR OLD 2001 RUNDLETS AND KILDERKINS

Distillery: Springbank
Brand: Longrow

Owner: Springbank Distillers Ltd.

Age: minimum 11 years (11/2001 to 1/2013)

Maturation: Rundlet and Kilderkin casks

Region: Campbeltown

Alcohol by Volume: 51.7%
Limited Release: 9000 bottles

I reported on the Springbank version of the Rundlets and Kilderkins last June.  Released at the beginning of 2012, Springbank's R&K was a thick desserty malt that I enjoyed quite a bit.  Now it has almost vanished from the market.  Early this year they released the Longrow Rundlets and Kilderkins.  And, according to Billy from The Whisky Exchange blog, the Hazelburn Rundlets and Kilderkins may hit the markets early next year.

If you're wondering what the whole "Rundlets and Kilderkins" name is all about, this should help:

Approximate Cask sizes:
Tun - 955 litres
Port pipe - 528 litres
Sherry Butt - 491 litres
Hogshead - 250 litres
Bourbon barrel - 200 litres
Quarter Cask - 125 litres
Kilderkin - 80 litres
Rundlet - 60 litres
(more information about cask sizes can be found here)

The theory is: the smaller the cask, the more contact the spirit has with the oak, which in turn matures the whisky quicker.  But this not only oversimplifies maturation, it's also not entirely true.  Storage temperature and humidity can have as great or greater an impact on the maturation process than the cask size, as I've discovered in my own spirit maturation experiments.  In addition to climate, char levels and cooperage quality can affect the maturation as well.  So just because you put distillate into small barrels for three years, it doesn't mean your three year old whisky will taste like it's ten years old.

That being said, I'm a big fan of the quarter cask whiskies released by Beam's distilleries, Laphroaig and Ardmore.  I don't think the stuff tastes older, but I do like the taste → → → which is the important part.  I also like the Springbank Rundlets & Kilderkins, so let's see how the Longrow Rundlets & Kilderkins ("R&K" for lazy shorthand) fares.

From a sample purchased at Master of Malt -- consumed neatly from a Glencairn glass:

The color is a dark gold.  A mess of hay in a barn in the summertime, so begins the nose.  Then there's coffee with a lot of cream and sugar.  Hospital hallways (disinfectant, gowns, and gauze).  It's a lot maltier and less woody than I'd expected.  Though there are rivers of caramel running through those hospital hallways.  Never mind, goofy descriptor.  How about a handful of caramel candies?  There's also brown sugar, pie crust, and lemon zest.  Overall it's an intense, sugared, Islay-style experience.  Charred steak leads the palate.  A healthy volley of peat strikes stronger here than in the nose.  But it also has that horse farm thing going on.  Again, not as oaky as expected.  Some bitter tea with buttery toast.  Peated vanilla simple syrup, if that was a thing.  Meanwhile the sweetness is balanced by a little bitterness and some tartness.  In the finish, the charred meat note leads again, along with some black pepper and brown sauce to season it.  Goes from savory to sweet.  Then comes the peat, bitter tea, and cigarette ash.

Enjoyable!  So much so I got too far into my sample to accurately add water.  I did like the Springbank version slightly better, due to its dense barrel-strength-rye-like (or high-rye bourbon-like) spicy sweetness.  But this one also works, especially since the farmy and ashy notes aren't overwhelmed by the baby barrels.

To me, quality-wise, it is comparable to Kilchoman's Machir Bay, if you swap out the Bay's cigars and sugar cookies for R&K's steak and tea.  Of course, Machir Bay sells for half of R&K's price in The States.  The Longrow is older and a more limited release, which can account for some of the difference.  If price wasn't an issue, it would be tough to choose between the two as far as quality goes.  But price is an issue for most of us.  This is very good stuff, again, from Springbank Distillery's peated brand, but the expense proves too much of a burden for my pockets.

Availability - Maybe a dozen retailers in the US; many more retailers in Europe
Pricing - $115-$125 (US); $100-$120 (UK, w/o VAT, w/shipping)
Rating - 87

Single Malt Report: Springbank 18 year old (2nd edition)

Springbank Taste Off 2013 concludes!

On Monday there was Springbank 10 year old 100 proof (US edition, beige label)
On Wednesday there was Springbank 15 year old
Today there is Springbank 18 year old (2nd Edition)

Though each sample came from a different source and started at a different quantity, they were treated equally.  28 fluid ounces tasted, first neat, then lowered to approximately 39% ABV with water.

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As you may note from the photos, this Springbank 18 year old 3cL sample was purchased from Master of Malt's Drinks by the Dram.

When I (and Master of Malt) call this the "second edition", I/we are referring to the fact that this was the second batch of 18 year old released by Springbank after the distillery's reopening (production in 1989, maltings in 1992).  This batch was released in 2010 and may have contained some of their own new floor malt.

You'll find much less commentary here about this Springer, compared to the previous two.  I have always wanted to try Springbank 18 and this sample has been waiting impatiently for me to open it for much too long.

Distillery: Springbank

Brand: Springbank
Owner: Springbank Distillers Ltd.

Age: minimum 18 years

Maturation: 80% ex-sherry casks, 20% ex-bourbon casks

Region: Campbeltown

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Bottling Date: 2010
Limited Bottling: 9,000
Chillfiltration? No
Colorant? No

NEAT
Color - Gold, almost identical to the 15yr
Nose - Deeper, creamier, orangey sherry+oak notes than the 15.  Again, more oak than sherry.  Cherry cough drops, tropical fruit (papaya?), and Juicy Fruit gum at first.  A lightly floral note joins in, then toasted barley, rum, apple and white grape juices.
Palate - While this is the most graceful of these three Springbanks, the industrial sealant and veggie peat character remains intact in the background. A bright eucalyptus note, also found in the other Springbanks, arrives but much more up front in the 18. Very little wine, but definitely some butter and vanilla from the American oak.
Finish - Oddly, the shortest finish of the Taste Off.  Citrus peels and molasses.  More toasted oak than toasted grain.  A little bitter and acidic, with a phenolic chirp.

WITH WATER (approx 39% ABV)
Nose - Manure! Also cinnamon, milk chocolate, and orange marmalade if the Manure! doesn't distract one too much. It sniffs younger and farmy (clearly).
Palate - Much younger, tarter, and rougher -- all OK in my book.
Finish - Orange, pine, and a surprising amount of spirit. Its last breath is a farmy one.

COMMENTS:
I was very hesitant about adding water to this.  I mean, how many times am I going to have Springbank 18?  Shouldn't I just enjoy it as is?  Instead, I applied water for the sake of science and I'm glad I did.  There was a dirty bird hiding underneath the proper veneer.

Like in the 15, you may note how much cheaper Springbanks are overseas.  I'm assuming this is an unfortunate distribution issue.  US buyers have to do some more footwork, but we can find this whisky at a lower cost outside our borders.

Availability - Most specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - In US: $150-$180;  In Europe: $110-$135 (minus VAT, shipping included)
Rating - 89

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Final thoughts

Here's my attempt to quantify the results:

NOSE:
A close race between the 18yr and the 10yr 100proof, but I give 18 the nod because of its flexibility with water.  It's like two whiskies for the price of one, though it's not a small price.

PALATE:
10yr 100proof, though that has to do with my palate preference for its youth.  The 15 and 18 run pretty close together as runners up.

FINISH:
10yr 100proof.  Unfair due to a higher ABV?  Nope.  Alcohol content doesn't necessarily determine finish.  Aged malt and oak tannins can be an even larger influences. The 18's finish (when neat) is its main flaw.

OVERALL:
At bottling strength - 10yr 100proof - When neat it shows much of the excellent raw character in its youthful, low-oak-influence state.
At 39% ABV - 18yr - A flexible oldie.  When neat, it's a graceful bright malt that still holds onto its industrial underpinings.  With a little water it seems much younger and plays a little rougher.

QUALITY-PRICE RATIO:
10yr 100proof

Again, please remember that due to Springbank's small operations, there has been known to be batch inconsistency.  In fact, that has almost become part of its brand, part of its charm.

Next week, more Springbank?