Douglas Laing XOP Springbank 1995 Aged 21 Years

Style: Fruity and Smoky

Rating: ☆☆ [Highly Recommended]

Nose:

Surprisingly dense on the nose, thick cream spreading over ultra-ripe melon fruits. A flinty, spirit overtone, followed by a wonderful flick of smoky caramel popcorn. Liquorice roots, another touch of sugary tropical fruits, green grass weaving in and the freshness holds the aroma together very nicely. Dry spice and mineral notes to finish.

Palate:

Ripe tropical fruits enhanced by a beautiful blend of waxy and smoky touch. Mangoes, paw paw, melons all thoroughly baked. A nice dose of Spatlese Riesling, all the sweetness assembles and deliver at the perfect weight. Fresh grass forming a formidable core here, liquorice, malt biscuits, dry spice and ending with honey toast. Incredible stuff.

Finish:

Toast dripping with golden syrup, faint hint of tropical fruits and herbal smoke. All sweet and calm.

Thoughts:

I bought this 2 weeks ago and it is already half-empty, this speaks how much I love this Springbank. We have seen plenty of excellent Sherry Springbank at this vintage but this is a different beast. It doesn't say but I guess this is a Bourbon cask. Gentle, waxy sweetness fuses with the peat smoke so effortlessly, while the grassy core instil freshness and hold the balance perfectly. Multi-dimensional, so well-done in many levels, simply irresistible.

[51.3% | Independent Bottling | 1995 Distilled | 2017 Bottled | Cask Strength | Single Cask | 111 of 308 Bottles | Matured in a refill Hogshead | Cask Number: DL11756 | Non Coloured | Non Chill Filtered | **+]

Originally published on Instagram