Springbank 17yo 1989 ACEO #145 vs Batch 1 That Boutique-y Whisky Company vs 15yo 1996 Director’s Cut #8700
Out of the veritable graveyard of distilleries that is Campbeltown comes mankind’s last best chance for peace hope future traditional whisky. And its true too. The only place in Scotland where barley becomes bottled whisky in one place.
If you love Springbank you know it comes with a particular profile. Lets see if we can find it in some of their newer make. I know I have waxed soporific about Springbank in other posts so will keep this short.
Springbank is virtually by the roadside.
Springbank 17yo 1989 ACEO ltd #145 50.1%
Nose: Naked 90s Springbank. So rather sour green apples and unripe peaches, with the coast a stone’s throw away. Engine oil and saltwater. I’ll just ignore the usual cream and malt that’s de rigeur with naked noses. Err.. butter biscuits. Also quite farmy this one – with hay and a ‘used’ stable that hasn’t become too ripe yet. Really good nose actually, comes together really well. A maritime side, a light phenolic side, and then a touch of lush speyside, it’s Springbank.
Palate: Salt first then farmy notes more than nose quite entertaining with little smoky oily phenolic notes popping up. Rather good! Going closer and closer to the sting of those unripe fruits towards the finish.
Finish: Medium long, salt, woody, unripe fruit, you want more of this.
Really enjoyed this. Rather multi faceted with great complex development on the palate. I also appreciate the dollop of individuality.
Springbank Batch 1 That Boutique-y Whisky Company 54.6%
That’s the porteus mill being pedal powered by the way, not sure if it is some sort of inside joke…
Nose: This one has lots of fresh cut vegetable leaves, milky plant sap and clean high toned florals to start. Out in the garden trimming the shrubs, collecting the debris in a pile. Something like rusty shears and WD40. Yes very grassy. Already smells very acidic
Palate: Curious, completely different from its nose. Mysteriously, a touch farmy but far less than the ACEO, sweet wood, and some salt, actually really similar to the ACEO now. What happened to all the green-ness in the nose?
Finish: Medium, here’s the green. Dried grass and sap covered garden gloves, bit of phenols again.
Loses points for being inconsistent. Good to surprise friends with really. But all in all also extremely drinkable.
Springbank 15yo 1996 Director’s Cut Douglas Laing #8700 56.3%
Nose: Oh ouch. Really woody. Oak tannins, fibrous vegetal spinters of cellulose. Carbonised sugar. Heavily charred wood. Was this a virgin barrel? Liquified baseball bat. Not getting much besides this onslaught of wood.
Palate: Sweet. Fudge and caramel and cream.. and way, way too much wood. Pointless.
Finish: Wood.
Cheaper to chew on chopsticks.
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whiskyrific 
That’s quite the review on the 15 year Douglas Laing Director’s cut! Ouch!
I know.. I even felt bad!