The 2020 release of Springbank 18 Year Old, bottled at 46% ABV from a near-even mix of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks. The whisky inside was distilled around 2002.
About This Whisky
Springbank changes the cask recipe for the 18 each year. The 2020 release was built from roughly equal parts ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks, with most listings putting sherry slightly ahead. The sherry gives dates and fruit cake, while the bourbon wood keeps a lighter, creamier side. It was bottled at 46%, without chill filtration or added colour.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Sherry first: dates, raisins and brown sugar, followed by blueberry, fig jam and a lemony cake note.
- Palate: A creamy texture carrying coffee and tiramisu, crushed strawberry, marzipan, cinnamon and rich fruit cake.
- Finish: Juicy and sweet to the end, with golden syrup and buttery shortbread.
Serving & Food
Serve it unchilled in a nosing glass; it is gentle enough at 46% to drink without water. Tiramisu, a pear and almond tart, or aged Parmesan with a little honey pick up its sweeter side.
How to Enjoy
A 2002 vintage-year gift, or a relaxed after-dinner glass for those who like their sherry balanced by bourbon wood.
Product Details
Distillery: Springbank
Country: Scotland
Region: Campbeltown
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Age: 18 years old
Release: 2020 edition
Cask: Ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks, roughly half and half
ABV: 46%
Proof: 92
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Springbank has come through more than one slump. Around 1900 tastes shifted, and the distillery began drying malt with coal instead of peat to make a lighter whisky. In the 1920s some Campbeltown distillers cut corners to meet demand, blenders turned elsewhere, and the town's distilleries closed one after another. When Rieclachan shut in 1934, only Springbank and Glen Scotia were left. Another downturn hit in the 1980s, when production at Springbank became sporadic, and regular distilling only resumed in 1989. Spirit from the early 2000s, like this, comes from the steadier years that followed.