Springbank/Longrow/Hazelburn

Longrow Red 11 yo

May 7, 2013
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The wine influence is bold, and you can see it in the colour. But it works surprisingly well. – Rating: 86/100

Springbank 19 yo Cask 129 and 482 Master of Malt

February 20, 2013
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Two rather different Springers compared head to head – Ratings: 84/100 and 88/100

Springbank Batch 1 – That Boutique-y Whisky Company

February 4, 2013
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Quite a spicy Springbank expression, especially with added water. Overall character is rather light but creamy. – Rating: 84/100

Springbank 1972 For Taiwan

June 25, 2012

What can you say? It’s magnificent. It has that hard to find quality to be both mild and strong at the same time. – Rating: 93/100

Springbank 1995/2011 Hart Brothers

May 6, 2012

A nicely flavoured but very much toned down whisky that is reluctant to give away its secrets. – Rating: 74/100

Springbank Rundlets & Kilderkins

April 30, 2012
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The small cask maturation creates strong wood spices that almost overpower the spirit. Luckily it was bottled soon enough, so we can still enjoy a very nice dram. – Rating: 86/100

Springbank 1995/2010 A. D. Rattray

April 26, 2012

This dram has a very impressive nose and nice flavours, but palate and finish are just too weak to deliver what the nose promised. – Rating: 84/100

Springbank 1992/2011 Berry Bros.

March 30, 2012

Pretty much a quintessential Springbank with a very nice freshness. Even though it is not cask strength the flavours are densely packed yet delicate. – Rating: 89/100

Longrow 1999/2010 for Usquebaugh Society

January 5, 2012

The trademark combination of brininess with citrus zests makes this a typical specimen from the Springbank distillery. Very good but also very expensive for a 10 yo. – Rating: 88/100

Springbank 1992/2011 Berry Bros.

August 4, 2011

The age does not show at all here. In one way it is a rather typical – or should I say generic? – Springbank, but I can’t help the feeling there is something missing here. – Rating: 82/100

Hazelburn 8 yo Cask Strength

June 20, 2011
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Even though it is only 8 years, this malt shows some characertistics of older whiskies. There is a lot going on in this fine and richly flavoured dram. – Rating: 85/100

Hazelburn 2002/2011 Sauternes Finish

May 25, 2011
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The sweet wine finish puts the trademark orange notes into the background. A quite enjoyable malt, but there seems to be some sulphur present that contrary to my usual preferences does detract a bit. – Rating: 82/100

Springbank 12 yo Cask Strength

April 12, 2011
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I was told it was sulphured, but I found a very pleasant and typical Springbank. The combination of spice and citrus fruit with gentle smoke in a maritime setting is much to my liking. – Rating: 86/100

Longrow 14 yo Sherry Cask Finish

April 7, 2011
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The sherry has mellowed out the peatiness of the Longrow a bit. The result is a stunning and well-balanced dram that perfectly combines fruitiness with smoke. – Rating: 89/100

Springbank 18 yo

December 28, 2010
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A quintessential Springbank with a silky mouthfeel, very complex with lots of flavours to discover. It can act both as a winter warmer and a summer refreshment. – Rating: 88/100

Hazelburn 12 yo 2010

November 12, 2010
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The new version is lighter and more floral that the 2009 release. Unfortunately it has lost some of the richness and complexity, so overall I prefer last’s years edition. – Rating: 84/100

Springbank 10 yo

May 27, 2010
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A great balance of flavours, accessible enough for an everyday dram but with a complexity that keeps it interesting for a long time. – Score: 86/100

Longrow 10yo 100 Proof

March 3, 2010
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Most enjoyable and suprisingly little peat. In a blind test I might have guessed “Cask strength Hazelburn” because is has that typical spicy orange profile. – Score: 88/100

Longrow CV

February 12, 2010

About as spicy as the Springbank CV, but here the peat acts as a strong counterpart. Sweetness and fruitiness are enhanced by a few drops of water. Nice! – Score: 84/100

Springbank CV

February 11, 2010

The nose takes a while to open up and actually becomes very pleasant, but the palate cannot quite live up to that. The spicyness is too dominant for my taste as it is not sufficiently counterbalanced by the other flavour components. – Score: 74/100

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