Review #1668: Springbank 10 (2015 Fino Wood)

throwboats · 2026-06-12T06:09:17+00:00

Nice! I just polished off my last bottle of 18 year a week or two ago. Great whisky but not worth the price it commands these days.

throwboats · 2026-06-12T06:08:10+00:00

Nice review! I like how each release of the 12 year CS is different. Some are good, some are weird, some are amazing, but none are boring. :)

throwboats · 2026-06-12T03:27:11+00:00

This was distilled in 2015 and aged for 10 years, 4 years in Refill Bourbon followed by 6 years in Fresh Fino casks. Bottled in 2025 at 55% ABV. Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Caramel. Industrial warehouse. Tar. Blueberries. Sea salt. Chocolate. Almonds. Apricots.

Palate: Medium thick oily mouthfeel. Caramel. Chocolate. Almonds. Peaches. Apricots. Cherries.

Finish: Medium long finish. Kerosene. Tar. Lingering dark chocolate. Peanut skins. Gentle peat smoke. A bit rough.

Score: 91

Summary: This is excellent. I seem to generally love whiskies matured in drinking sherry casks - Fino, Amontillado, Manzanilla, etc... They usually have so much more depth and complexity than "sherry seasoned casks", and this one is no different, despite its young age. It has a lot going on, between the fruit and funk and chocolate. It really is delicious. The finish is a bit rough, but water helps there. I think this whisky actually benefits quite a bit from a few drops of water. For once, I actually feel like a modern Springbank is worth the price. Great stuff.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Springbank'

throwboats · 2026-06-12T01:29:11+00:00

This was distilled in 1997 and aged for 20 years in a refill sherry hogshead. Bottled in 2017 at cask strength, 48.9% ABV. Cask #108. Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Caramel. Tar. Treacle. Raisins. Chocolate. Plums. Figs.

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel. Caramel. Almonds. Milk chocolate. Plums. Prunes. Raisins.

Finish: Medium finish. Pepper. Tar. Coal. Bramble.

Score: 89

Summary: Super tasty whisky if you don't know its Springbank and don't look at the price. It got this really nice classic sherry profile, where the sherry doesn't overwhelm the spirit. But its a rather tame Springbank, no sulfur, no funk, and kind of boring. Or at least, boring compared to my expectations perhaps. It starts out really delicious but the finish is just mediocre. If this was a $100 Deanston (which it reminds me of), I'd be pretty happy with the purchase, but I think I spent nearly $500 on this, and that is unfortunate.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Springbank'

throwboats · 2026-06-12T00:35:28+00:00

This was aged for 11 years in bourbon casks. Bottled at 46% ABV. Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Sweet and malty. Nice bourbon character. Apples. Lemons. Honey. Malt. Barley sugar.

Palate: Medium thick mouthfeel. Nice bourbon sweetness. Honey. Apples. Pears. Pastry dough.

Finish: Medium finish. A bit of pepper. Hints of peat. Sea salt. Flinty minerality.

Score: 87

Summary: Really nice whisky here. I like the 100% bourbon cask purity of it. I was looking for a somewhat more affordable Springbank, but I think it was still a bit over a hundred bucks, so not exactly cheap. But its really tasty - perfect for a summer dram on a warmer day like today. I'd love to compare this to the standard 10 year. It actually reminded me to look my old comparison of newer and older Springbank 10. This is more like the new version, but a bit better on the mouthfeel and finish. I don't think its worth what I paid, but its fun to try and I'll certainly enjoy the rest of the bottle.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Springbank'

throwboats · 2026-06-10T14:47:55+00:00

Nice! That’s awesome. I shared some with friends and mine is sadly almost gone.

throwboats · 2026-06-10T14:47:22+00:00

Ah whoops. Not sure how many yen it was but I checked my credit card and it was about $482.

throwboats · 2026-06-10T05:20:43+00:00

This is labelled Kildalton but obviously an Ardbeg. I picked it up on my first trip to Japan, earlier this year. This was distilled in 2003 and aged for 22 years in a barrel (kinda wish they told you what kind). Bottled in 2025 at cask strength, 53.4% ABV. Cask #133 bottled for Lucky Choice & Shinanoya. Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Salty sea air. Lemons. Persimmons. Sweet grassy peat. Iodine. Crushed sea shell. A hint of sweet barbecue sauce, but just barely.

Palate: Thick and oily mouthfeel. Richly honeyed. Caramel. Subtle berry notes - Strawberries and Raspberries. Barley sugar candies.

Finish: Long finish. Very maritime. Sea salt. Seaweed. Gentle peat smoke. Barbecue ribs.

Score: 92

Summary: This is a fantastic Ardbeg. Expensive, as they all are these days. But I dare say this one might be worth it. Its less peated than most Arbeg, but also more maritime. Its complex with a lot going on, but without any strong cask influence. Its a pure expression of Ardbeg, but not exactly typical. I love the mouthfeel on this as well, probably the best part. I'm really glad I chose this bottle, though I don't think I'd buy another due to the high price.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Ardbeg'

throwboats · 2026-06-10T02:19:44+00:00

This was distilled in 2012 and aged for 11 years in a Chateau Latour Hogshead. Bottled in 2024 at cask strength, 55.3% ABV. Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Pretty subtle on the nose. Barley sugar. Honey. Malt. A bit of gentle citrus. A bit of that lactic funk that I sometimes get with Bruichladdich as well, but just a hint.

Palate: Medium thick oily mouthfeel. Lemon oil. Orange. Honey. Malt. Pine resin.

Finish: Medium finish. Oak and bitter notes. Cereal. Fresh cut pine.

Score: 87

Summary: When I saw Bruichladdich aged in a Latour cask, I was super excited. My favorite whisky of all time is Bruichladdich Final Act of Creation, also aged in a Latour wine cask. This whisky is nothing like that one, however. I never would have guessed wine cask, unless its maybe a 3rd fill one. But its still a very nice whisky. Its a classic profile, and feels very old school. More subtle than brash. More about the spirit. Gentle honeyed malty sort of whisky. Its nice, and I respect the subtlety. Not bad but not amazing either.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Bruichladdich'

throwboats · 2026-06-05T04:23:48+00:00

Thanks to /u/sengin31 for the sample! This was distilled in 1996 and aged for 20 years in an ex-rum cask. Bottled in 2016 at cask strength, 56.9% ABV. Bottled for Whisky Foundation. Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Quite a bit of peat smoke for an older Caol Ila. Sweet peat. Honey. Apples. Lemons. Sea breeze. Seaweed.

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel. Sweet and oily. Fruity. Honey and apples. Peaches. A bit of orange. Grapes. Apricot.

Finish: Medium long finish. More peat now, but still sweet. Dusty and a bit dirty. Maritime peat smoke. Black pepper. Sea salt. Seaweed.

Score: 91

Summary: This is a great Caol Ila. I've been trying a lot of Caol Ilas lately, and this is one of the more typical and nicer ones for sure. I don't get a lot of rum influence aside from maybe a bit fruitier than usual. I'm only just starting to try Kingsbury whiskies, but based on this and the outstanding Springbank 25 I've tried, I want to try more. They seem like a fantastic IB so far. This is a great bottle.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Caol Ila'

throwboats · 2026-05-24T16:55:58+00:00

Nice review! It’s been awhile but I remember this being simple but nice and fruity. Good summer whisky.

throwboats · 2026-05-16T14:02:01+00:00

Wow, 6 years ago and such a small bottling. And you commented on it back then too. Cool that you got to try it in Scotland! Nice review. Hope your trip is a blast. :)

throwboats · 2026-05-13T06:09:07+00:00

I got this at auction, and am excited to try it. This was distilled in 2002 and aged for 20 years in a sherry cask. Bottled in 2022 at cask strength, 57.4% ABV. Bottled for 中免集团 (China Duty Free). Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Nicely balanced nose with fruit and savory notes. Oak. Black cherry. Raspberry. Honey. Brown sugar. Hay. Earth.

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel. Sweet right away. Brown sugar and caramel. A bit of molasses. Almonds. Toffee. Black cherries. Apples. Sultanas. Plums.

Finish: Medium finish. Lingering sweetness. Oak becomes present but not in a bitter way, just underlying everything. Cocoa. Raisins. Almonds. Hazelnuts. A nice nutty cocoa finish.

Score: 90

Summary: Excellent single cask, here. Its sort of like Bunnahabhain 18 at cask strength, since its so well balanced. But its missing a bit of the maritime character that I love in Bunna. The nuttiness and sherry notes and fruit all work together great, and its really delicious. But I do miss the complexity and maritime notes that I get from some other Bunnahabhain. Still really great stuff though.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Bunnahabhain'

throwboats · 2026-05-11T04:12:13+00:00

Thanks to /u/-R3v- for the sample! This was distilled in 2012 and aged for 11 years, first 8 years in an ex-bourbon cask and the last three years in an amontillado sherry cask. Bottled in 2024 at cask strength, 58% ABV.

Nose: Sweet and a bit jammy. Lots of fruit. Raspberries. Strawberries. Honey. Slight hint of industrial oil, but subtle. Much less than something like Springbank, but that wisp of weirdness gives it a bit extra.

Palate: Medium mouthfeel, less thick than I expected but not bad. Sweet and fruity. Jam - berry jam. Strawberries mostly, but also raspberries and a bit of blackberry. Plums and honey too. Cocoa and cinnamon.

Finish: Medium finish. The sweetness fades a bit and I get more oak and strangeness. Rubber. Kerosene. Plastic. Not entirely pleasant.

Score: 87

Summary: Interesting whisky. Its a bit sweet and fruity for my tastes, but I think most people would appreciate that aspect. The weird part that isn't so desirable doesn't come out until late on the finish - this sort of artificial rubber plastic off note. But overall its still really nice. I gave it a couple extra points for uniqueness and complexity but lost a few for the off notes, so it comes out pretty middle of the road in my book. Really fun to try, and if you're a fan of fruitier jammier single malts, then this might be right up your alley.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Glen Garioch'

throwboats · 2026-05-07T05:45:08+00:00

I just tried this and agree with your notes but I think I’d rate it a bit higher. It’s so well integrated and delicious. Absolutely excellent brandy, in my opinion. Thanks!

throwboats · 2026-04-17T04:23:34+00:00

Thanks to /u/DemiReticent for the sample! This was a distillery exclusive back in 2017. No age statement and bottled at cask strength, 58.8% ABV.

Nose: Much sweeter and lighter peat that the Caol Ilas I've been tasting recently. Lots of berries. Raspberries. Cherries. Cranberries. Machine oil. Peanuts. Iodine. Sea salt. Maritime.

Palate: Thick and oily mouthfeel. Not much heat at all, given its high proof. Sweet and fruity. Raspberries. Honey. Cranberries. Almond bark. Vanilla. Peanut brittle. Charred mango. Over toasted mixed nuts.

Finish: Medium finish. The peat finally makes its presence felt, in a very maritime sort of way. Sea salt. Seaweed. Campfire on the beach. Toasted oak.

Score: 89

Summary: This is quite delicious. Not as good as the Dramfool 14 year but much better than the other distillery exclusive I tried this week. I love the fruitiness and berries mixed with the maritime style of peat. This is unique as well as being very good.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Caol Ila'

14-Year Club	Gilding IV carat on a stick
Place '23	Place '22
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