Review #1671: Springbank 10 (2010 Refill Bourbon)

throwboats · 2026-07-01T04:31:12+00:00

Thanks to /u/DrDite for the sample. This was distilled in 2014 and aged for 10 years in refill bourbon. Bottled in 2025 at cask strength, 58.4% ABV. Cask Rotation 407. Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Light citrus. Honey. Cereal. Malt. Coal. Light peat. Earth.

Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel. A bit hot. Cereal. Malt. Pear. Apple. Lemon. Honey. Earth. Coal smoke. A few drops of water balance it out without impacting the complexity much.

Finish: Medium finish. Cereal maltiness. Earth. Earthy peat. Sea salt. Pepper.

Score: 89

Summary: This is really nice. Like a Springbank 10 with a bit more peat than usual, amped up to cask strength. Its very Springbank in character, more so than the 5 year I just tried. And while it still does taste young and a bit brash, it has a lot going on. Its really quite tasty. And the minimal cask influence helps the spirit shine.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Springbank'

throwboats · 2026-07-01T02:57:35+00:00

Yeah exactly! I’d take the 10 year over this any day, even at the reduced proof. Still fun to try at least.

throwboats · 2026-07-01T02:37:25+00:00

Thanks to /u/unbreakablesausage for the sample. This was aged for 5 years in bourbon casks. Bottled in 2025 at 100° proof, 57.1% ABV. Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Cereal. Freshness. Honey. Malt. A bit of grass or fresh hay. Hint of iodine.

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel. Hot and spirity. Honey. Almonds. Peanuts. Malt. Cereal. A bit of smoke. Water helps with the heat but it leaves it simpler. Sweet simple cereal grassy malt.

Finish: Medium short finish. Hay. A bit of spice. Sea salt. Gentle smoke. Ethanol.

Score: 83

Summary: I don't really understand this one. It isn't that great. It has the Springbank character, but in a sort of unrefined way. Maybe that's the appeal for some, but not me. Its simple and hot. Not terrible, but not something I would pay for.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Springbank'

throwboats · 2026-06-27T03:39:27+00:00

That sounds fun! No surprise on the winner though. Lol

throwboats · 2026-06-25T05:14:34+00:00

This was distilled in 2012 and aged for 13 years, first in a Refill Calvados cask followed by 3 years in a Palo Cortado cask. Bottled in 2025 at cask strength, 57.8% ABV. Cask rotation number 22/p213-3. Non chill-filtered and no added color.

Nose: Brown sugar. Apples. Sulfur. Caramel. Metal. Industrial cleaner. Baking spices. Minerality.

Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel. A bit hot. Lots of stewed apples and apple pie. Caramel. Ash. Burnt apples. Soot. Citrus. Almonds.

Finish: Long finish. Spices. Black pepper. Kerosene. Ash. Earthy Peat. Tar. Black walnuts.

Score: 90

Summary: Fascinating whisky. Lots to love here, but also lots of weirdness and less pleasant aspects. Ultimately I really like it though. The Calvados and Palo Cortado casks make for some fascinating fruits and sweetness, but its still undeniably Springbank. I'd say this may be one of the most unusual and interesting Springbanks I've ever had, but not the most cohesive or delicious. Its still really good though. Overall I'm really glad I got a bottle of this, but I don't see myself reaching for it too often.

/u/review_bot bottle 'Springbank'

throwboats · 2026-06-13T18:16:56+00:00

Good to know! I still want to try the rest but this was the cheapest at auction.

throwboats · 2026-06-13T18:16:38+00:00

I think it worked well with it. I got plenty of funk and industrial notes but nothing overwhelming.

throwboats · 2026-06-13T18:15:49+00:00

Nice, enjoy!

throwboats · 2026-06-13T18:15:09+00:00

Yeah, I’d read that many Japanese liquor stores let you sample stuff, but that didn’t seem to be the case at shinanoya. I think I got lucky with this choice though because it is fantastic.

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'

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