Tag: Cambeltown

Kilkerran 12 y/o

JoshLeave a comment

Distillery: Glengyle, Campbeltown, Argyle & Bute, Scotland, UK (J & A Mitchell)wp-1577138212646.jpg

Style: Single Malt Scotch

Region: Campbeltown

Age: 12 y/o

ABV: 46%

Price: $70 (Binny’s)

Appearance: Medium gold.

Nose: Sweet malt, swimming pool, old oak.

Palate: Full bodied and semi-dry. Butterscotch, oak, burn. Hint of sherry and smoke.

Finish: Malty and chewy.

Parting words: This review was from a 200 ml bottle I purchased at Cadenhead’s in Edinburgh back in July of 2019. I was talked into it by the salesperson, without much resistance on my part. It’s hard to find around here and I do like Springbank so it was an easy choice. I’m glad I made it.

Kilkerran 12 isn’t complex, but it is a well-balanced, enjoyable single malt and it is worth the money. If you can find it, Kilkerran 12 y/o is recommended!

 

 

Glen Scotia Double Cask

Josh3 Comments

Maker: Glen Scotia, Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK20180129_102156.jpg

Region: Cambelltown

Age: NAS

Note: Not chill-filtered.

ABV: 46%

Michigan state minimum: $70

Appearance: Dark caramel. Colored?

Nose: Fruit of the forest pie with vanilla ice cream, roasted almonds.

Palate: Medium-bodied, medium-sweet. Caramelized sugar, high rye bourbon, brown butter.

Finish: Bourbon, vanilla, oak, alcohol.

Parting words: For years, Glen Scotia has been the other Campbeltown distillery, the best known one being Springbank. There’s now a third one, Glengyle, but even that one is owned by the same folks who own Springbank. Springbank had the distinctive bottle, the big fanbase, the cool sounding name and the stable of old Campbeltown names like Hazelburn and Longrow to use for various expressions. Glen Scotia had a generic-sounding name, boring bottles, boring expressions and poor distribution. The name is still there, but the bottle looks good now and there seems to have been an effort on the part of parent company Loch Lomond to improve distribution and upgrade the line with entries like Victoriana and this.

Double Cask shows a good balance of sherry cask, bourbon cask and peat influence. lacks a little in integration but it’s never boring, which is a much greater sin. This is a $70 single malt, although I would hesitate to buy at >$85 or so. Glen Scotia Double Cask is recommended.

 

Springbank CV

JoshLeave a comment

Maker: Springbank, Campbeltown, Argyll & Bute, Scotland.wpid-2015-05-22-20.29.13.jpg.jpeg

Region: Campbeltown

Age: NAS

ABV: 46%

Appearance: Old gold with evenly spaced legs.

Nose: Peat, damp humus, seawater, leather, sweet malt.

Palate: Full bodied and hot. A little water calms it down. Dates, brown butter, butterscotch candy, roasted pecans, brine, smoke.

Finish: Warm and smoky. More earthiness, wet firewood.

Parting words: I fell in love with Springbank 10 at first sip so I then quickly moved on to the 15 y/o expression. I didn’t realy care for it. It had a tired, murky quality to it that I didn’t care for. So I sadly refrained from buying any Springbank until I bought this in an effort to reacquaint myself with the distillery. What better way is there to get to know Springbank than by drinking its CV?

None, that’s what. This is a fantastic whisky. It has the sweet, nutty characteristics of the 10, but with the added depth of earthiness and smokiness that whiskies from the neighboring island of Islay exihibit. I’m usually a skeptic when it comes to the influence of the ocean on Scotch, but there are aromas and flavors that come across as maritime in this whisky.

The complexity is very much by design. The CV is a marriage of malts of a variety of ages and styles all from the Springbank Distillery in Cambeltown, the smallest recognized single malt Scotch region. My bottle is from the second edition (the first got mixed reviews) and I love it, as you can probably tell. Unfortunately it seems to be out of stock at the usual major retailers, but I paid around $70 for mine and it was worth every penny. I’m sure there are quite a few of these still in the wild. Pick one up if you can. Springbank CV (second edition) is highly recommended.

Springbank 15 year old

JoshLeave a comment

Maker: Springbank, Campbeltown, Scotland, UKspringbank-15-yearold

Region: Campbeltown

Age: 15 y/o

ABV: 46%

Appearance: Old gold.

Nose: Malt, mandarin orange, old leather, old oak, amaretto, , sea spray, smoldering candle.

On the palate: Full-bodied and sweet. Caramel, white chocolate, peat, pralines, burn. Water brings out butterscotch candy and a good amount of smoke.

Finish: Smokey and sweet with subtle maritime notes.

Parting words: This is the second bottle of Springbank I’ve purchased. The 10 y/o was sweet and nutty. The 15 is more complex. There is a lot of candy and fruit but it is thoroughly balanced out by the oak and smoke. If anything it is a little too far over the edge, coming across a bit murky at times.

When I purchased this bottle, it was also the most expensive bottle of whiskey I had ever purchased, at a little over $100 including tax. Was it worth it? I don’t know. I try to shake my bourbon QPR expectations and apply Scotch values to Scotch whiskies, but I think this one is overpriced. Maybe at 18 y/o, there is more balance, but the 15 is just a little out of whack. Still, Springbank 15 year old is good and is recommended.