Haven’t seen too many Springbanks in the SMWS lineup as of late so I was quite excited when this bad boy popped up on the menu. I have a theory about the rarity of independent bottled Springbanks that goes like this: Springbank owns the independent bottler Cadenheads so why would they sell casks to competing independent bottlers? Right? I dunno maybe it’s a crackpot theory. Anyway, great to see a Springbank at SMWS.

Moniker: Guns on the Grouse Moor

Distillery: Springbank

Age: 16 years old

Cask: Refill Gorda

ABV: 58.3%

Distill Date: 31st May 1998

Outturn: June 2015

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TheMadVatter

Nose
Strange sweetness like opening an old velvet lined violin case. Tinned sardines in tomato sauce. Malt biscuits and fresh cut grass. Green smell like Hakushu. Old ladies Parlour.

Taste

Wellies bottoms, Oily. Grass juice. Strange sweetness like cheap rubber. Cheap Chinese flip flops.

With water: Perfumey. Slight citrus like rinds. Cloves like potpourri.

Finish

Cinnamon licorice rubber. Fake leather. Bitter.

With water: Cherry cough syrup comes out. Slight bit of cloves.

Rating

6

Afterthoughts

Oh man, I really wanted to like this one but it was weird in a way I couldn’t get over. I am sure there are others out there who will swear by this but I can’t. Maybe I’ll come back to it and find a revelation of some sort. Who knows. It’s definitely different.