Springbank 10 year old Local Barley, 2017 release

I loved, LOVED, Springbank's 16 year old Local Barley release, and I'm certain I scored it too low. Then I liked, LIKED, their followup, the 11 year old Local Barley. So it's about time I wrote something about their third Local Barley.

If I'm not mistaken, the Local Barleys were to be a five-part series, and the fifth release dropped a couple months ago. While I hope the LBs continue, but I doubt I'm ever gong to buy another bottle. As with the 11yo, the 10's price tag did not inspire me to make a purchase. I don't blame that on Springbank, it's more an issue with their importer, and the irrational exuberance of the secondary market. But I am thankful to have gotten in on a bottle split of this third edition.

Distillery: Springbank
Brand: Springbank

Owner: Springbank Distillers Ltd.
Region: Campbeltown, on Well Close, just off of Longrow

Age: 10 years (June 2007 - November 2017)
Barley: Belgravia, from West Backs Fram

Maturation: 70% bourbon casks and 30% ex-sherry casks
Outturn: 9,000 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 57.3%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose is young and barleyful. Peach candy, flower blossoms and LOTS of citronella. Fresh basil and thyme. More moss and dried leaves than peat. The palate is very clean, fruity and pretty. Grapefruits, kiwis, pineapples and lemons. It never gets too sweet and it's nearly peat-free. The finish mirrors the palate, with maybe a little more tart citrus. A bit brief though.

DILUTED TO 46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Getting even closer to newmake now. Toasted barley, wort and eau de vie lead the nose. Cinnamon (cassia bark) and gentle wood smoke linger underneath. Eau de vie leads the palate as well. Then yeast, sweet apples, saltines, cucumber skin and cassia bark. The sweet finish is all barley, yeast and cassia.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Can a whisky be cute? Because this is an adorable little baby whisky. Yeah it has a 10 year old age statement but it comes across about half that age, yet it's still a quality drink and I enjoy having a chance to have something from Springbank that's so close to the spirit. Like Monday's rum cask Springbank, it's missing depth/complexity/angles/etc though it's still very pleasant. A shame about the price. Again.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - probably near $200
Rating - 84

Springbank 15 year old 2003 Rum Cask Matured

It's been two whole months since I've posted something about Springbank and I'm sure you're all feeling the lack, so here's a week of Springbank to refill your thrill.

Today I'm reviewing the recently released small batch of cask strength rum-barreled 15yo Springbank. This bottling was hot stuff in Facebook group and secondary market circles, orbits separate from those in which the majority of whisky fans travel. So I don't know how excited everyone else is or was about the release, or how many people actually heard of it.

The bottle:

The deets:

Thank you to Secret Agent Man for the sample!

NEAT
The nose starts off with honeydew and mint leaves, with hints of flower blossoms and wood smoke in the background. With time, it picks up notes of gummi bears and old oily Highland malt whisky. The dirtier, earthier palate has more of that note that I'll call Clynelish-ish. It's also very zesty, with tangy limes and tart apples. A slight bready note and a little bit of light rum appear after a while. It has a well-balanced finish with moderate bitterness and sweetness, along with the tart limes and apples and just a hint of metal.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or ⅔ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Now bolder and funkier, the nose shows more oils and metals; something darkly organic as well (more Worthy Park than Hampden if I'm going to be an asshole about it). Then cardamom, toasted oak and honey butter. The simplified palate has bits of salt, sugar, bitter herbs, earth and tart citrus. It finishes with citrus, herbal bitterness and mild sweetness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
That these barrels remained mellow may be the key to the quality of this Springbank. It's crisp and almost refreshing, while also having a darker side that keeps it from sliding into Glenmorangie territory. Had I the standard 15yo, I would have certainly compared the two because I think I might like this one better. It's not the best thing coming from Campbeltown, as it lacks the complexity that even the standard 10 displays, but it's a very good drinker. Just beware of those prices!

Availability - Europe and the US
Pricing - $150-$200
Rating - 86

Laphroaig PX Cask

During that fateful second evening at Malt Bar South Park three years ago, Odin and I discussed the progression of Ardbeg's and Laphroaig's whisky over the past four decades. In fact, we may have segued from laughing about those two Islays' recent wacky casketry and spirit shifts to talking about Kavalan, then progressing to Omar. Thus when I finally got around to scheduling my tasting of two Omars, I elected to partner them with a current Laphroaig.

Laphroaig PX Cask is sold in big ol' litre bottles at many travel retail stores. Is it aged entirely in Pedro Ximémez casks? Of course not, that's not Modern Laphroaig. It's basically Triple Wood, but ending up in PX casks, rather than Oloroso, after it passes through "American oak" casks and Beam's beloved quarter casks.

I tried this Laphroaig once before at a whisky event seven years ago. My old notes list anise, tar, salt, sugar and sherry. May I find more of the earlier notes and fewer of the latter...

Distillery: Laphroaig

Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Age: NAS
Maturation: "American oak" casks, then quarter casks, then Pedro Ximémez casks

Alcohol by Volume: 48%

Chill-filtration? ???
Caramel colored? Probably
(from a sample pilfered at a recent event, thank you Curtis!)

NEAT
There's lots of rubber in the nose, then tar. Then more rubber. Mixed berry jam and burning tires. A hint of smoked salmon. More rubber. It's as if someone made brandied cherries with the lighter version of Hampden rum and went overboard with the sugar. A lot of the same in the palate: ash, rubber, sugar, burnt grape jam, some sugar-doped rum. Imitation vanilla extract. A sickly sweet edge builds with time. The finish is very peppery, very ashy and very sweet. A big dose of cheap cream sherry.

DILUTED TO ~43%abv, or ⅔ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose... Oh god, that was a bad idea. Buttery baby poop and eggy sulfur. Mint candy, simple syrup and brine. The palate is tannic as hell and brutally sugary. There's some ash and bitterness too. The finish matches the palate, regrettably.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This is the worst Laphroaig I've ever had the displeasure of trying. At least the Select is just a *shrug*, only offensive on principle. With a nose more rubbery than a clown's and a finish sweeter than a bottom shelf liqueur, the PX Cask is drinkable when neat, if you've previously burnt your tastebuds off your face. Once diluted, it's gross. It's unfortunate. It's punishment. It made me nauseous. Omar wins the week.

Availability - Travel retail
Pricing - why
Rating - 65 (neat only; it swims in the 30s)

Omar Sherry Type Taiwanese Single Malt

There's Omar Little. And here's a little Omar:

I bought this sample during Master of Malt's final days of US shipping. Some perspective was going to be needed once the Bourbon Type bottle was opened. Well, that 700mL has been opened, and enjoyed. The world (or just I) was ready for a comparison of the Sherry and Bourbon Types.

Distillery: Nantou
Owner: TTL, which is owned by the ROC
Brand: Omar

Region: Nantou, Taiwan

Age: 7 years or younger

Maturation: sherry casks

Bottling Date: 2018 or earlier
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltration? ???
Colorant? ???
(from a purchased sample)

NEAT
There are no generic raisiny notes in the nose, instead it's a little meaty: beef broth and jerky, ground mustard seed. There's also plenty of yeast and spun sugar. Some maple syrup and pencil eraser. The palate has some of the nose's mustard seed note, but then heads off in its own direction. Lemon juice and a big crazy bitterness (from the spirit and the oak) follow bursts of ginger ale and cream soda. Then walnuts, a slight mineral note and more vanilla than the Bourbon Type. It finishes with a woody bitterness, or a bitter woodiness, then some vanilla + sugar. Minerals and walnuts in the background.

DILUTED TO ~40%abv, or < 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose becomes nuttier, with a hint of cherry candy. A little bit of maple syrup. Less beef, more mustard. Similar to the neat version, but quieter, the palate does add some tangy dried apricots, dried cranberries and oak spice. Less bitterness but still tannic. It finishes yeasty and tannic, sweeter than when neat. Some maple and vanilla.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
On a positive note this isn't a boring sherried thing. Yet it's woodier and more vanilla-ed than the Bourbon Type. I think it improves when diluted as all its facets start tilting towards an American whiskey-style at 40%abv. Overall there's just too much oak extraction present in this expression, especially when compared to the Bourbon Type. I recognize the unevenness of this comparison, a full bottle of one and a small sample of the other, but I'm not sure how many pours of the Sherry Type I'd desire beyond one.

Availability - Asia, Europe and the United States
Pricing - $35 to $95, depending on the country
Rating - 77

Bottle Review: Omar Bourbon Type Taiwanese Single Malt

Three years ago, in a now-defunct but eternally glorious Nakano whisky bar, a Taiwanese gentleman suggested I try Omar Bourbon Type single malt. Rarely do I buy a bottle blind, but I respect the man's palate so I scooped up a bottle of the Bourbon Cask when I returned home.

Opened by the Republic of China in 1978 (a good year), Nantou Distillery made fruit liqueurs, brandies and rums for the first three decades of its existence. In 2009 a new facility began distilling malt whisky spirit, branded as "Omar" (Gaelic for amber), leading to inaugural releases in 2013 and 2014. Their core range, Bourbon Type and Sherry Type, debuted the following year. They have since released over 200 cask strength and liqueur/wine cask finished expressions.

Though Omar single malt is now distributed on three continents, it lives in the critical shadow of Kavalan, the other Taiwanese single malt. How much Kavalan deserved its initial boisterous reception is a matter of personal preference. I have found Kavalan's celebrated single cask expressions so cask-driven that I have no idea what the spirit beneath tastes like. My experience with Kavalan's bourbon cask expressions, both single cask and large-batched, is far from positive. It was my pronouncement of this concern that initiated the suggestion that I try Omar Bourbon Type.

So I did.

Distillery: Nantou
Owner: TTL, which is owned by the ROC
Brand: Omar

Region: Nantou, Taiwan

Age: 7 years or younger

Maturation: bourbon casks

Bottling Date: 2016
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltration? ???
Colorant? ???
(from the upper third of my purchased bottle)

NOTES
The nose begins with fresh whole wheat bread and croissants. Then lemons, kiwi and picked ginger. Witbier and newspapers. Hints of calvados, flower blossoms and chocolate malt. The thick, malty palate shines with a bright tartness and an herbal bitterness. There are toasted grains, toasted almonds, lemons and hot oregano to be found. Vanilla? Not so much. The finish holds that refreshing tartness, bitterness and barley......ness. It's toasty, with almonds and bran flakes. No vanilla, nearly no sugar.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This is Malt Whisky like I've rarely experienced in products from more famous whisky-producing nations. The sizable angel's share has not turned the whisky into an oak infusion, instead the climate and quality cask management has brought the spirit's crisp character to the fore after 5-7 years. I tried Omar Bourbon Type alongside the other two whiskies being reviewed this week, as well as Glenmorangie 10. This whisky won by a large margin. Thank you, Odin, for the suggestion!

Availability - Asia, Europe and the United States
Pricing - $35 to $95, depending on the country
Rating - 85

Bunnahabhain 10 year old 2005 Signatory, cask 579 for Binny's

I partnered yesterday's excellent easygoing excellent 10yo sherried Bunnahabhain with today's ??? 10yo sherried Bunnahabhain during my tastings this past weekend. This sample comes from an OC Scotch Club event right near by birthday 4½ years ago. This was the set:

I've since reviewed most of these. This Bunny and the Clynelish had just arrived at Binny's when we scooped them up. That may have been the worst Clynelish I've ever tried. Let's just say, my hopes are a little higher for the Bunnahabhain. Is hope dead?

Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Region: Islay

Independent Bottler: Signatory
Exclusive to: Binny's

Age: 10 years (9 March 2005 - 13 March 2015)

Maturation: 1st fill sherry butt
Cask number: 579
Outturn: 546 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 57.8%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant added? No
(from an OCSC event)

NEAT
The nose starts with lumber, cinnamon, cloves and VOCs. Brine, rosewater and prunes escape 10+ minutes later. Dates and toffee pudding appear 30 minutes after the pour. The massively grapey palate is all PX-like sherry and wood, no spirit. Jammy sticky sweet. The finish is the same, but with a tannic edge.

DILUTED TO ~50%abv, or < 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose remains oaky, but there's a lot more baking spice now. No prunes. Minor dunnage, floral and vanilla notes arise. The palate has lots of woody bitterness, tannins, soap. You know, all the good things. It does pick up some nuts, meats and florals after a while. It finishes bitter, nutty and salty.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Well, crap. Though my notes make the whisky sound worse than it actually is, it actually is not good. Of course, the whiskybase community LOVES it. So, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

I mean, other than the fact that it's unbalanced and aggressively oaky with a one-note palate, goes soapy and bitter when diluted, and could be from any distillery or spirit genre, it's fine. 94 points!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 73 (only when neat, and only stays above 70 because of the nose)

Bunnahabhain 10 year old 2001 The Whisky Agency

Oh we're not done with the sherried Bunnahabhains, no way no how. I have random samples of this stuff from everywhere. Today's sample comes from My Annoying Opinions......and I don't think he published his opinion of it, yet.

It's difficult for Americans to get a hold of a Whisky Agency bottling, unless we're physically in another country. They don't bring their stuff to The States, and very few European online retailers (who ship out here) sell TWA's single casks. They have a number of ranges and series, with beautiful labels that don't stoop to T&A (I think). Anyway, I've tried three of their whiskies and liked them all. Here's number four, from their House Malt series:

Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Region: Islay

Independent Bottler: The Whisky Agency
Series: House Malt

Age: 10 years (2001-2011)

Maturation: "sherry wood"
Cask number: 909
Outturn: 414 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant added? No
(sample provided by the gentleman named above)

NOTES
The expansive nose begins with a bright fresh cherry note, then molasses chews, fruity cinnamon, ocean air and clay. A slight meatiness, slight greasy Clynelish note and slight breakfast cereal note drift in the background. The palate is warm and lightly sherried, more fruits than oak. Brandied fruits, candied orange peel and ginger snaps. There's also a subtle phenolic note that reads more earthy than smoky. The finish picks up some pepper and tannins, berry jam, cloves and whole wheat bread crust.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
House Malt indeed! This would be an excellent everyday pour. There's an impressive complexity to the nose, and the palate holds onto its quirky angles as the whisky vanishes down the gullet. Had the finish not faltered a little, then this whisky would be getting a gaudy score. Anyway, this is great stuff. It's a shame I didn't know about this bottle way back when, but I have the official 12 satisfy this particular thirst.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87