Matured in mostly bourbon casks, the 100 Proof 10 y.o is considered to be “Springbank in its purest form with its salty briny flavor”.  The 57% ABV is guaranteed to blow your nose off before you smell any ginger notes. It is crisp and earthy If you find that a little harsh, add a splash of water.  The strong flavors swirl and lighten ever so slightly to bring out the full bodied marzipan and citrus taste of the 100 Proof.

We also took in the new expression of the cask strength 12 y.o which is supposed to be able to replace and match up to the 100 Proof in terms of overall oomph.  As a 12 y.o, it’s less harsh.  But don’t be deceived by its age.  Its ABV of 54.6% makes a difference to the nose as the vanilla notes come up strong and vibrant.  The first sip bellies the almost oily sweet toffee finish.  A little dash of water does not dilute the light peat within.  Quite a surprising winner from Springbank Distillery.

One of the last surviving producers of Campbeltown single malts on the southern Kintyre Peninsula, Springbank Distillery houses Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn.  The distillery has pushed out a new bottling for the 15 y.o.  Curious to see if there is a marked difference to the taste of the old and the new, we do tasting of both. For a comparison, we sampled the two bottles of 15 y.o side by side.

In the photo above, the new bottling is the one on the left with a green ‘S’ and the name of the distillery below.  The one on the right is what we’ve always known.  Matured in sherry casks, the 15 y.o is supposed to be an ideal digestif.  The new bottling is a little more aggressive in terms of the smokiness.  Somehow, the sherry cask provides a sharper nose with a distinct black pepper-ish aftertaste with very subdued fruity hints.

Honestly, we prefer the older bottling. The nose is less spicy. There’s an easiness which comes through its fruity flavors and rich, giving an almost rounded aftertaste of dark chocolate and raisin.  There aren’t that many crates of the old bottling of 15 y.o lying around.  We joked that since we unanimously liked the older bottling, this would be a good time to keep them to savor in time to come.

We should sample the new bottling again another evening, just to be sure that it’s a matter of individual preference rather than a difference in the richness of the whisky that the older bottling is known for.