SPRINGBANK - 12 years - Cask Strength - Bottled 2025 - 55.5%
Springbank 12 years Cask Strength (2025 version), at 55.5%, embodies the most intense and raw facet of the Campbeltown distillery, in a deeply artisanal style. The deep golden robe with copper reflections suggests maturation combining bourbon and sherry casks, weathered by time in warehouses battered by sea winds. On the nose, the whisky opens with a rich malty framework, evoking butter biscuit, warm bread, and a hint of toasted cereal. Then come notes of candied lemon, baked apple, and dried fruits, accompanied by touches of soft caramel, light honey, and vanilla. In the background, the Campbeltown signature can be sensed through a discreet salinity, an almost iodine-like minerality, and very subtle smoke. The whole gives an impression of controlled density, both indulgent, saline, and immediately identifiable as Springbank.
On the palate, the 55.5% asserts itself with a clear but remarkably integrated intensity, offering a broad, oily attack that coats the palate without harshness. The mid-palate unfolds a deep substance, where candied citrus, yellow fruits, brown caramel, and brown sugar mingle, supported by a texture both rich and taut. The precise wood brings accents of toasted oak, soft spices, nuts, and vanilla, while allowing the distillate to breathe. A fine noble bitterness, reminiscent of orange zest and lemon peel, structures the whole and enhances drinkability despite the high strength. The smoke then appears more, discreet but persistent, in a register of embers, toasted cereal, and light blond tobacco. A few drops of water open the whisky to nuances of beeswax, dry herbs, and stone fruits, while softening the heat to let the complexity speak. The finish, long and saline, extends the malt, salt, citrus, and smoke in a very Campbeltown echo.
This Springbank 12 years Cask Strength 2025 is clearly designed for pure tasting, as a concentrate of the distillery's DNA, both rustic, precise, and deeply authentic. It is ideally savored in a suitable glass, after a few minutes of breathing, playing with the sparing addition of water to explore the different aromatic layers. At the table, it will find superb harmony with aged cheeses, a mature cheddar or comté, characterful charcuterie, lightly sweetened dark chocolate, or a dried fruit tart. Its dense structure and richness also allow it to pair with a delicate cigar, to extend the tasting into a realm of pure contemplation. It is a sought-after bottle by enthusiasts who appreciate this uncompromising expression of the Springbank style, halfway between raw power and wild elegance. Each sip tells of the sea, the wind, time, and the distiller’s hand, in a balance both sincere and fascinating.
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