Springbank Single Malt Scotch 10 years old 46% 70cl

Incredible that this entry point from Springbank is just a 10 - feels so developed! Bursting citrus without being too sharp, layers of caramel blanched vanilla, subtle note of apple with a sherry to carry through, lush lasting finish leaving you with the most tasteful vapour on the after breath. 10/10 for this 10!

This really is a superb whisky. A marketeer will tell you the packaging is terrible, with scuffed labels and wobbly cartoon, but what is inside is a hand-made gem. Smoky, salty, extremely smooth with excellent mouthfeel from the lack of chill-filtering, it punches way above its 10 years. Having recently tried the 15 y.o. version I would say the 10 is better. I would say Springbank is one of the top 5 single malts.

I first came across Springbank on a TV programme about Scotch whisky and decided to give it a try. It's light and sweet, with tons of layers to the flavour, really complex in a friendly sort of way. I'm not into too smokey or peaty whiskies (my other favourites include Highland Park 12 and Glenmorangie) and Springbank now has a securely-established place alongside these others. It is a bit more expensive, but well worth it, not only for the taste, but also for supporting one of Scotland's most interesting distilleries.

Good whisky that's a bit more challenging to the palate.

Had a nip of this in a quality whisky bar in Glasgow and decided to treat myself.Absolutely no regrets,even at this price.Complex flavours and ever so slightly peated, a small drop of water in this whisky releases the flavour, I'm no whisky expert but I've tasted a few nice ones.This is by far one of the very best.

UPDATE 24 July 2023:- In fairness to SB, they are not the ones setting the price here.If you can pick up SB at the RRP of around 45-50 quid in the UK, then it is excellent value.I was unaware of the RRP for SB when I initially wrote the original review below.And in fairness to this whiskey, once I got past the neck pour I definitely enjoyed it more.ORIGINAL REVIEW:- I looked at the reviews. And I looked again. I looked at the price. And I looked at the reviews. I walked away. I came back. Price vs reviews. Was it going to be worth it? The consensus seemed overwhelming. Oh feck it. Buy Now.To say I am underwhelmed is an understatement. At this price, I don't know what I was expecting but what I wasn't expecting was a very ordinary whisky.In my humble opinion, there is much better out there for a fifth of the price.Sorry Springbank - I didn't want this to be the review but it is what it is.

Ye Gods, this is complex. Springbank make their whiskies without cold filtration, artificial ingredients (it's shocking how many single malts include e-numbers, which they don't have to declare on the label), or much compromise to popular tastes....Is that a bad thing? It might take you a while to work it out. It is a punchy 48 per cent, it has a perhaps unexpected peatiness (a peatiness with lots going in underneath it, unlike the overwhelming peatiness of some whiskies on first tasting), and then a quick and intense series of salt, dry fruit, a hint of honey, and a dry finish.I'm 3/4 through the bottle and every time I get it out I feel a bit differently about it. Maybe one for the drinker who likes to their whisky to make them think. Whatever you might end up feeling about it, it's nice to drink something that challenges you like that.

Really interesting flavours, seem to change on every glass, I get aniseed, malted shreddies, honey and light smoke. Will buy again and again.