E-pistle #04/01 - An interview with Olivier 'Zind' Humbrecht
by Serge Valentin, France
Well, this is a very special interview!
And oh, while we're at it, Olivier is Master of Wine.
Yes, for this fourth edition of Maltmaniacs I decided to interview a wine star instead of a malt guru.
Why that, you should ask? Well I've got many reasons for interviewing Olivier Humbrecht; 1)
he's a friend of mine, 2) we live in the same village, 3) he's one of the top guns of the wine world and 4) he's mad about malt. Is that enough? No? Okay, then read this. First, the whisky industry is using more and more sherry casks, Port
casks, claret casks, Burgundy casks, Sauternes casks... So yes, whisky has something to do with wine, as it manipulates a lot of wine related concepts nowadays. Secondly, Olivier's one of the few guys who know a lot about wine, and a lot about
whisky as well. Anyway, if you're a wine fan somehow, you already know Olivier's property, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in Turckheim, Alsace. But for those who are 'only' malt freaks, juts try to google it.
You'll see what you'll see.
He's been elected "Best Whitewinemaker of the Year" by Wine Magazine several times as well. He doesn't even remember exactly how many times: "At least five or six times
during the last fifteen years, I think", does he say quite modestly. No need to say that dozens of Olivier's wines have been rated 100 by Robert Parker, Jr. (you know, the Michael Jackson of wine). And oh, by the way, I think Olivier
makes the only wine in the world that smells and tastes peat: the stupendous Rangen de Thann.
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Q1 - Olivier, with such a background you could have stuck to wine, Cognac and Armagnac. I remember, a long time ago, my father had a friend who was a shareholder of a famous distillery in the Lowlands. When the distillery went bankrupt, he only got two casks of whisky as a compensation, but he didn't know what to do
with the casks. So, he shipped the casks to my father's cellar, here in Alsace, where they have been resting peacefully for a few more years. That was my first contact with the magic of whisky... A few years later, while I was a student in
London, I met Margaret, who was to become my wife. Margaret is born Scottish, and despite the fact that she left her homeland when she was quite young, she always kept a strong relationship with Scotland. That's why we used to drive quite
often to the Highlands. I remember, I had been that impressed by the casks my father had in his cellar, that we decided to drive to Speyside, and to ring at every distillery's door to buy two or three casks of whisky. I wanted to let a few
more casks age in our cellar... No need to say nobody agreed to meet us. I understood that all these distilleries did belong to some big groups, and that the distilleries' managers were by no mean allowed to take any decision such as selling
two damned casks to a couple of Franco-Scottish kids. Q2 - How unromantic! I thought the Scots were easy people... No, because finally, one distillery accepted to meet
us and to discuss the possibility of selling a few casks to us: Glenfarclas. They were very friendly, and they let us taste a lot of different malts. Yes, very cool people, but it was difficult for them to organise the shipment right away.
They told us to wait a little, and to contact them again. It appeared to be quite complicated... And we dropped the idea. Too bad! But I remember, just before we had to drive back to London, we went at Gordon & MacPhails, Elgin. And I
bought my first bottle of malt there. It was a Macallan 18yo 1971. Not bad for a start, don't you think? Q3 - Oh, yes! These Macs 18yo from the seventies are part of the legend. No, of course not.
Q4 - Great! Which whiskies did he advise? Many different malts. For instance, I bought a Springbank Local Barley (they were much cheaper than today, I can tell you). I bought also an old Ardbeg 10yo. Maybe I paid ten or
fifteen pounds for it. Now, it costs thousands! Let me tell you, I think the new 10yo is better. Anyway, every year, I used to go back to Loch Fyne's to discover new malts - and to buy a few new bottles. We started to organise some Scottish
parties at home every year as well. And we were drinking more whisky than wine during these evenings, which is quite strange at a winemaker's place... At this time, I think it was in 1995, I happened to meet a Cambridge teacher who presented a
bottle of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society to me. I remember, it was a Bruichladdich 1974/1990. He did write on a back label: "A great introduction to the Islay whisky". I liked it right away... Since these days, all this never stopped
accelerating, day after day... Q5 - Tell me, what are your favourite malts? Islayers of course, by far! I think half of my bottles are Islays.
Q6 - Of course! Which one shall we have? I've got a rather old Ardbeg 1974/1997 (51.2%, Signatory Vintage, cask #1063-1065) I like a lot. Let's poor two drams…
Wow, this isn't a dram, it's almost half a glass ! The colour is pure gold. Q7 - Now, Olivier, what do you think about the increasing relationship between the wine and whisky worlds? You know, as an Alsacian winemaker, I'm highly interested in both worlds. In the old days, in Alsace,
everybody did distil fruit… And all the winemakers did distil the by-products of the grapes. Lees, stems… I use to distil myself every year. I even use some eau de vie to re-alcoholize our casks every year, just before I pour the must into
them. As with any kind of wine casks, you've got to evacuate the sulphur that's always burnt into a cask after it has been emptied. So you rinse it with some acidified water, so that the wood opens up again. This process lets the wood being
full of water, and my re-alcoholization allows to re-prepare the wood properly. Of course, I distil the alcohol I use myself, so that the wine's characteristics 'stay in the family'. Some winemakers in Burgundy let some alcohol boil, then
throw it in their open vats, and let it burn. I can tell you, this method cleans up everything! So, you see, spirit is sometimes involved in the wine making process, as wine is involved in the whisky making one. When they use wine cask, of
course… Q8 - That's very interesting, even if a little technical for our non-wine readers. Oh yes! I don't know if this will be allowed by
law, but I'll ask a friend who's a French cooper, the guy from 'Magic Casks', to try to burn some peat into some new oak cask. As you know, they always burn some wood into the new casks, just before they're assembled definitely. This does
suppress the green tannins, and allows the cooper to form the cask properly. Otherwise, the wood would be too rigid to be bent. Anyway, I'll ask Magic Casks to burn some peat instead of wood… Should be funny! After all, the whisky industry
uses some sherry, why shouldn't some winemakers use peat? But well, I'm not sure the results will be perfect… Q9 - But your 'Rangen de Thann' is already kind of peaty!
Yes, I know… Some say that. But these particular aromas only come from the 'terroir', which is volcanic…
Q10 - Yes, I know. I was joking… By the way, do you drink whisky with meal sometimes? Oh yes! Whisky is much easier to drink with food than, let's say white eau de vie or Cognac. And the very peated whiskies have got an
aromatic structure that's much closer to wine than Cognac, although the latter is distilled wine. But it's very difficult to drink wine and malt during the same meal, as one kills the other. I must say that usually, the malt wins…
Q11 - Let's talk about the wine casks used by the whisky industry now. Of course. But I always prefer to go back at a product's origins. Why did the Scots use some former wine
casks, mainly sherry casks? Not to improve their whiskies' taste, of course! They used them just because they were much cheaper than new oak casks. Moreover, I'm sure they found out that a brand new oak cask does change the product a lot,
especially its mouth structure. It brings some types of tannins, and some aromas that aren't always very good. Sometimes, oak may actually improve a product, but some other times, it may well denature it. I'm not convinced that some heavy wood
treatment is always good for the best single malts. And if the wood has been heavily impregnated by the product it did contain formerly, you won't find the malt's 'signature' anymore. Anyway, the use of new oak casks is to be avoided for
whisky maturing. Exactly like for the Calvados! I wonder if a great single malt isn't as its best when matured in an old cask that hadn't contained any other product than whisky for dozens of years…
Q12 - So, Olivier, you mean the best single malts shouldn't need wood? Yes, in a certain sense. Of course, they need wood because it'll let the malt mature properly. Breathing, slow chemical changes, melting of the aromas… All
these processes are very important. But every time I tasted a whisky where the wood was dominating all the other aromas, even when dealing with some bourbon casks, it was just a curiosity, not a pleasure. Wood always lets you loose the
original product's characteristics. Q13 - Yes, but when the original product isn't that good, maybe it's the best solution… Exactly! No need to comment on this any further… Q14 - Alright, but we all know whisky is an industry. I mean, they have to stick to the market… Sure, like
yoghurt, ice cream or frozen pizzas. But as a winemaker, I feel a 'spiritual miss' here. Look, the great distilleries carry the name of a special place, a valley, a village etc. In wine, the place where the product is harvested and made is the
main influence, whereas in whisky making, I think this is just not respected enough. What should we think about a distillery that:
What did the distillery itself 'give' to the product? Oh yes, its stills' style… I would like to find some whiskies that offer the distillery's style, of course, but I'd also like to see some distilleries buy the
barley at local farmers', malt the barley themselves… Even if it's only for their highest range. In short, to get 100 to 500 euros for a bottle, shouldn't they wear themselves out a little more? Q15 - I can't agree more, but
it's very easy for them to chose the best few casks amongst 10,000 lying in some warehouses, to bottle their best expressions… It's too easy! That's what the biggest wine companies in France do. I can understand that when
dealing with mass-market products. But a top-notch whisky shouldn't be the same as the low range one - which just happened to age particularly well. Look, I'm sure this trend will arrive on the malt market. People are going to seek
authenticity above everything else. That's what happened with the best wines, a few years ago… This just lets me think about what happened in the Napa Valley. At the beginning, some winemakers did settle down there, and just let the grapes
come from the other side of the country. And it was selling! Thanks God, a new law was laid down eight years ago. Yes, that's not old! So, when you drink a wine from Napa now, it's a wine from Napa! And I would like to drink a malt from Islay,
that's really a malt from Islay! I know what you think, I may be a little excessive. But I'm a winemaker, and a winemaker is a producer, not an engineer, nor a chemist.
Q16 - Some say the spirit doesn't matter, only the maturing process counts… Yes, I know some people think that water, yeast, barley etc. do not matter, as everything's distilled then. Q17 - Isn't it what Springbank did with its Local Barley series?
Yes, and don't you think these are excellent and very typical? Hum, no… You see! Of course, when dealing with the common whiskies
like, let's say Glenkinchie, maybe all this is not very important, even if, when you sell a bottle for 30 euros, you could always spend a few more cents for some better barley, yeast etc. But as for the great whiskies, they should be more
caring. I think very few distilleries really care about their raw materials origins, and maybe that's the biggest difference between wine and whisky. Furthermore, I think it's just because of this very difference, that the whisky world doesn't
really understand the wine world. Q18 - I think you made your point, Olivier. I think that buying fifty
empty casks anywhere in Europe, then letting some so-so whisky age a few months in them, then selling it with no further consideration is nonsense. That's why I'm not really interested in the idea of 'finishing.' Moreover, you need to
manipulate the spirit a lot to do that. You must vat the spirit two times, and I'm not sure it's very good for the whisky. As for wine, this method – some big companies do that – is very dangerous for its quality. The more you touch a product,
the more you 'break' it. Of course, I know whisky is less fragile than wine, but still… Q19 - And what about these whiskies' tastes? Look, as whisky needs much more time to mature than wine, I'm afraid a
finishing won't allow a good osmosis of the different elements. In fact, it's only a matter of aromatizing. Or perhaps is it the best way to mask a bad product. But where's the authenticity? Q20 - Now, Olivier, why not explain
to us the differences between all the types of casks the industry's using. I mean, not the sizes etc, but in which sense they do influence a whisky's taste… Sure… But remember, I'm no whisky maker, I'm a winemaker…
Q21 - Ok, what about the bourbon casks? Oh, these are the ones I don't know well, as bourbon is no wine (smile). But I can say they're made out of American oak, of course. American oak's also used by some Spanish winemakers
in Penedes, Rioja, the Spanish part of Douro… American oak's always used to produce some very heavy wines. The tannins are extremely dry, very, very big, and always very rustic. French oak is more elegant, and is used by most chateaux in the
United Sates or in France. So, no wonder most bourbon whiskeys are extremely oaky. They also get the 'burnt' wood taste coming from any newly made cask.
Q22 - Great, but the bourbon casks have less influence on the malt. Isn't it a paradox? No, because the wood's tannins are much more dissolved by spirit than by wine or fortified wine. In short, the bourbon itself gets most of
the tannins. When a cask reaches Scotland, it's become much more neutral than, let's say a sherry cask. To me, the greatest whiskies have been matured in some 'neutral' casks.
Q23 - Ok, but then, why do the malt people think that a 1st refill cask is better than a 2nd refill? As a winemaker, I would say this
has just nothing to do with quality. The heavy use of new oak casks in the wine industry is a very recent concept… Perhaps a thirty years old one. Depending on the thickness, quality and origin (yes!) of the wood and the style of the wine, a
cask will wear out more or less quickly. (Sweet wines are very damaging for wood, the residual sweetness left in the wood is often transformed into volatile acidity-vinegar, limiting the use of the barrels). It is absolutely possible that a
normal barrique (usually about 1 inch thick) can be worn out after having had strong spirit over 12, 20 or more years. A first refill would then be the optimal condition for a good maturation of whisky: not too young, not too old. In a second
refill, the wood maybe already too dried out, too porous…. Causing too fast ageing. Now again, this is what we see in wine making. In many cases, the 'second wine' casks are the best. Q24 - What about the sherry casks? Sherry casks use to be filled up over and over again, until they fall apart! Anyway, their oaky notes are never very strong, partly because they are twice as big as a regular cask. This means there's much less contact oak/liquid.
The main grape variety used to be the Pedro Ximenez for the sweeter wines, now largely replaced by the Palomino Fino– which is by no way the rarest, as some people from the industry try to let us think. Traditionnal sherry is
always fermented in new oak casks. (But stainless steel or glass fibre is developing strongly). The young Sherry wines are kept in casks not completely full to the top, allowing air to penetrate and gradually oxidize the wine. The wine will
react by developing a layer of yeast that will cover the wine almost like cream on top of milk. (you find the same principle in the Jura wines - not Isle of Jura…! - like Vins Jaunes or Chateau Chalon) This Sherry flor will give a very strong
taste to the wine, and eventually to the whisky matured in such casks. During the ageing, the different qualities of Sherry are separated and classified (Palo, Oloroso, Manzanilla, fino). The best finos becoming Amontillados.… Sherrys are then
aged according to the solera system: one part of a cask is bottled, the missing volume is replaced by the sherry one year younger and so on…on a many years scale. By the way, a sherry is a white wine, and not a red wine, as many people think.
But white wine has got some colour as well! Q25 - But why are some very sherried whiskies red and dark? This comes from the oxidation, as I told you, and the amount of flor on the cask. Q26 - Now, we know a lot more about sherry, thanks. The Port wine makers use some huge casks, and butts are very scarce, except for the higher qualities like Vintage Ports. The grape variety they use, the tinto negro or touriga nacional, is very coloured and powerful. That's why I
think using Port wine casks to mature some whisky is nothing but a colouring and aromatizing method. Or a marketing gimmick, if you like. Q27 - OK, Olivier, we're almost finished now. I know some distilleries use some Sauternes casks. It's very aromatic. Does it give a 'plus' to the whisky? I don't know, I didn't taste a Sauternes finished
whisky yet. But if it's a whisky that smells Sauternes, I'd better go for Sauternes. As for the red wine finishing, like Bordeaux – the Anglo-Saxon say Claret - or Burgundy, or even wines from the Rhone valley like Hermitage, I really wonder
what's the use of doing this. The wood is quite thick, and as it's made out of French oak, the fibres are very tight. This means that it is good for ageing a spirit only if the spirit spends a long time in the cask, because the spirit doesn't
really breath enough. The finishing concept makes no sense for me in a top whisky, I think it's just a matter of aromatizing and colouring, not unlike the use of Port butts. Or perhaps is it just marketing? But having said that, I'd be curious
to try a top malt aged for decades in a good Sauternes cask. Q28 - Thanks Olivier, thanks a lot. Yes, now I'm thirsty. Olivier opened a bottle of Bruichladdich 26yo (45%, Stillman's Dram, #185) It's a bottle from the Invergordon era. The nose was fresh, very nicely balanced, with some melon, watermelon, peach,
apricot, and even a little kiwi. Some sea air as well. The mouth was very elegant, with some fruity notes and a little vanilla fudge. Finish: some salt on the tongue. Very nice but a little less impressive than the 'new old' Laddies. (87
points) www.winebow.com/france/alsace/zindhumbrect/zindhumb1.htm
How come did you become a malt aficionado?
You must have been very frustrated...
But it's strange to hear that you were willing to buy two casks before you buy any single bottle!
But OK, have you been hooked on malt since that very day?
When my London time was finished, we came back to Alsace, where we settled down.
But every year, we were flying back to Scotland for some holidays. And one day, while driving through Inveraray, I discovered a tiny shop full of whisky. It
was Loch Fyne, at their former location. Their new shop is much bigger. Of course, we stopped by, and the owner did let me taste a whole bunch of fantastic whiskies. That was my first heavy dramming ever. I asked the guy - I guess he was
Richard Joynson - to tell me which malts I should buy as a virtual newbie. And I must say the quality of his pieces of advice was what allowed me to really enter the world of the great single malts.
I really like my most recent discovery as well: Brora, like you
Serge. I like sherry as well, but it has to be very well made. It's easier to sip with friends. In fact, I've got no preconceived idea. When it's good, I'm interested. For instance, I really like a lot the Auchentoshan 1966 OB or the St.
Magdalene 19yo RM, even if they're no Islayers. And I never buy a bottle just for collecting. I always plan to open my bottles one day… But let's have a dram now. Would you like an Ardbeg?
The nose is very smooth and elegant. A very nice mix of peat and cooked apple. The mouth shows a lot of peat, smoke, iodine, salt and pepper. Yes, more pepper
than usually. It's superb, and I would say less sour and oily than Douglas Laing's OMCs from the same years. My rating: 92. It's just a little less complex than the 1966/1996 Signatory Olivier used to carry with him in his silver hip flask…
But didn't you tell me you had a crazy idea about wine and peat?
Nothing to do with burning peat, I can tell you!
You've tasted a lot of these, I guess…
Of course, if the kind of cask that's used by a distillery is part of the product's style, no problem!
But changing all the time is not interesting at all.
I think each distillery should look for the best spirit/cask combination, and then stick to it.
It's an absurdity. I'm sure anybody will see a difference if a distillery buys its raw materials in its neighbourhood…
Did you ever sample any other malt that tastes exactly like a Local Barley?
Now, what do you think about all these 'wine finished' whiskies that pop up everywhere on the market?
(or a 2nd refill than a 3rd refill, etc...)
Anyway, a sherry cask
won't give much oak character to a malt, just because it's been used several years by the winemakers through the solera system. Again, when a sherry maker gets rid of one of his casks, it means it's almost broken, according to winemakers'
standards! But as the cask has contained a lot of sherry several time, it will give a lot of sherry character to the whisky. Not to mention the solera casks, that are never emptied… Oh, by the way, the sherry casks are very bad casks usually.
I mean for wine. As the concept is to let the wine oxidise, the wood is very thin and very loose, so that the process goes faster.
Why not say a few words about Port?
Please tell me a few words about the use of 'table' wine casks…
Now we know a lot more about 'wine and whisky'.
Something more to say?
Let's have another dram together…
Do you want to learn more about Olivier and Zind Humbrecht wines?
Here are a couple of URL's;
www.abfw.co.uk/agencies/zind_humbrecht.htm
www.geocities.com/NapaValley/4709/zind.html
Or just Google it...
Serge - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E-pistle #04/12 - Springbank JOLT
Transcript by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland
Target: Springbank, Campbeltown
Date: 27-30/09/2002
Tasting Team:
Davin de Kergommeaux (JOLTing in Ontario, Canada)
Johannes van den Heuvel (JOLTing in Amsterdam, Holland)
Klaus Everding
(JOLTing in Hamburg, Germany)
Krishna Prasad Nukala (JOLTing in Mumbai, India)
Mark Adams (JOLTing in Palo Alto, USA)
Patrick Whaley (JOLTing in Minneapolis, USA)
Roman Parparov (JOLTing in Tel Aviv, Israel)
Serge Valentin (JOLTing in Alsace, France)
The picture at the right shows the humble collection of Campbeltown
malts I selected for this JOLT. Fortunately, some of the other maniacs
were able to put together a more interesting and challenging menu.
Our JOLTS usually take place around the change of the season (meaning the 21th of March, June, September or December) but this
time we postponed the celebrations for a week hoping the new Springbank 15yo would have reached our maniacal friends in the USA.
Unfortunately, it didn't. You may notice that the set-up of this JOLT is a little different from before. We're still trying to figure out the
perfect format for our JOLTs. This time we experimented with extending the tasting period to an entire weekend. Hopefully, this will solve some of the 'timezone' problems we experienced during previous tastings.
Springbank JOLT 001 - 27/09/2002 - 18:59 GMT - Johannes
Immediately after I sent a message to the other maniacs about the official start of the Springbank JOLT at 18:00 GMT I received this e-mail from Jeff Jaskolski from the USA: 'I noticed that you finally sampled the Springbank 10 yr distillery bottling. I am now on my third bottle and can happily report that each bottle showed noticeable improvement the more depleted they became. As far as Springbank goes, if you ever come across a 12 yr 100 proof (50% alcohol US version) bottle, I suggest an immediate purchase. I have sampled approximately 150 different whiskies now, and this one stands out as my absolute favorite. When it came out of the cask at 12 years of age, it was at a proof of close to 60%. Instead of bringing its proof down with the addition of water, Springbank simply vatted it with a considerable amount of old 'naturally lower' proof whisky... predominantly 30 yr old whisky. The average age of the bottle is said to be in the 22 year range.'
Yep, I know the story about the Springbank 12yo 100 Proof.
I don't know if it's true, though. A.f.a.i.k. that particular legendary bottling never reached our shores, so I haven't had the chance to test the stuff myself. My own selection for this JOLT is noticeably more modest;
Being the control freak that I am I usually plan these sessions weeks in advance but, preparing rigid tasting schedules. Not this time though. After experiencing the chaos of earlier JOLTS I've learned not to plan too far ahead. I decided to start with the Springbanks from young to old and just see where it goes after that. After all, I've got all weekend.
I started the dramming with the Springbank 10yo (46%, OB, 00/164, bottled 2000). I moved on to the Springbank 11yo 1989/2000
(43%, The Ultimate, distilled 10/3/1989, matured in oak cask #104, bottled on 9/5/2000, bottle #182). This is actually the only independent Springbank bottling on tonight's menu. The colour is very light.
It's the new 'standard' version that replaced the 12yo a while ago.
Nose: The start is spirity and a little oily. Some citrus - more light fruits later on.
A barely detectable hint of bonfire smoke, growing stronger.
Really opens up with some breathing. A splash of water kills it, though.
Taste: Smooth, creamy start. Sweet and malty. Good burn.
A little gritty in the finish. A good standard malt, but nothing more.
Diluted to about 40% it seems much more winey in the finish, leaving a sour aftertaste.
Score:
79 points at best. It scored 80 points at an earlier tasting but I just can't justify the position on my hit list that comes with a
score in the 80's. If I'm in the mood for a malt of this type (usually in the summer) I'd rather go for a Glenmorangie 10yo or Cellar 13.
Analysis: Not the best Summer investment. In his message Jeff Jaskolski mentioned his bottles improved after some breathing. This
bottle was opened about 5 months ago so I guess I gave it every opportunity to improve. As it is, tonight's first impression isn't overly impressive.
Nose: Very fruity and spirity. A little dusty. Perfumy. Dry and salty after a few minutes.
Barbecue spices. The fruity notes become more dominant and settle down again.
Pleasant, although there's the occasional disturbing whiff of paint thinner. Liquorice all sorts.
Taste: Dry and gritty. Liquorice. No major flaws but no reasons for celebration either.
Score: 77 points
. And that's just because the nose remains entertaining throughout.
Analysis: Underwhelming. I can understand why Springbank didn't want to use this cask themselves.
On this slightly disappointing note I'd like to close my first JOLT-report for this weekend. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Springbank JOLT 002 - 27/09/2002 - 19:15 GMT - Serge
Hi all, here's the I.F.O. (Infuriating French Ostrich). Alright, now, maybe it's time to set up this JOLT's line-up.
Uh-oh, that's perhaps too much.
More to come later... Santé, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It's a little too early here for some serious drammin', especially because this week is an hectic malt-week:
Monday - Paris Whisky Festival (dozens of malts)
Tuesday - Serious attack on a Bruichladdich Valinch and playing backgammon with friend in Paris
(playing backgammon always means sipping a lot on my side)
Wednesday-Thursday - pause (beer and wine only)
Friday (now) - starting the Springbank JOLT
Saturday - finishing the interview with friend Olivier Humbrecht (and not considering doing this without a few drams) + JOLT 2nd part
Let's see what I've got on my shelves: Springbank CV (46%, OB), Springbank 12yo (46%, OB), Springbank 15yo old bottling (46%,
OB), Springbank 15yo new bottling (46%, OB), Springbank 21yo (46%, OB, 00/199, bottled 2000), Springbank 1978 House and Tree
(46%, OB), Springbank 12yo 1989/2001 Private Bottling (58,1%, 'OB'), Springbank Local Barley 1966/1998 (54.4%, OB), Springbank 34yo 1965/1999 (46%, Murray McDavid) and a few IBs... (Ultimate, Signatory etc.)
Ok, I declare officially that I'm going to taste only 6 of these: 3 drams per night.
Hem, that's not enough... oh well, we'll see! And oh, Johannes, two questions:
1) Are we 'allowed' to taste Longrow as well?
2) Are you sure the 10yo did replace the 12yo? I would have said it replaced the CV...
Springbank JOLT 003 - 27/09/2002 - 20:17 GMT - Johannes
Hi, Serge & all,
Fortunately it isn't dramming time for most of the other maniacs yet. This gave me the opportunity to take it easy during my second flight of the evening. I'll get back to the tasting notes in a moment and answer Serge's questions first.
1) Yes, Longrow is permitted as well. After all, it's produced at the Springbank distillery.
Anyway, now for the report on one of my personal highlights of this JOLT, the Springbank 12yo (46%, OB, bottled +/- 1996). At
least, I hope it's one of the highlights - I've never tried it before. I wanted to try it, believe me. I've heard many enthusiastic stories
about it, especially from the USA where there's a strong Springbank fan base. But just when my price ceiling had risen to such a level
that I could afford it the 12yo disappeared from the shelves. It's successor, the 10yo, is widely available these days but doesn't really
tickle my fancy. Needless to say I was very happy when Serge could spare a sample of the 12 from his collection. Now we get to the next highlight, the new Springbank 15yo (46%, OB, bottled 2002).
Hell, I've even increased the scope to include Glen Scotia - another Campbeltown distillery.
2) You may be right in your claim that the 10yo replaces the CV, not the 12yo. If that's the case I have to say it's an improvement; I scored the Springbank CV at just 75 points.
Nose: Ooh! Sherry! I didn't find that in the previous two. Deep sherry tones and hints of mint.
Fruity - lots of heavy late summer fruits as opposed to the light, early fruits of the 10yo. Pear.
The nose is wonderful, but a little one-dimensional at first. A lot of 'depth', little 'width'.
Over time, the bouquet blossoms. Oriental notes. Soy sauce?
Taste: Sherry. Some sweetness over a strong malty burn. A little salt.
Maggi? A little wood as well, although that's just a minor element.
Score: 84 points
. Not bad at all! I can certainly understand why people like it so much.
Analysis: A bit like a diluted incarnation of the 21yo. This is much more to my liking than the 10yo version.
The 10yo showed some Glenmorangie characteristics (less sherry) while the 12 reminds me of the Balvenie 12yo Doublewood.
It's a brand new bottling that (I think) hasn't even reached the US yet. At least I've received no reports about it. That's a shame,
because we postponed this JOLT for a week in the hope that the US maniacs could present their views as well. Once again I have to
thank Serge for allowing me to sample this bottling. Strangely enough, it's one or two shades lighter than the 12yo.
Nose: Candy sour-sweetness. Slightly perfumy. Not as powerful (or sherried) as the 12yo at first.
Opens up after 5 minutes. Something in the fruity corner I can't describe in the foreground. Organic.
It grows fruitier and fruitier over time. A little dusty. Faint coastal notes. Drops off again after 10 minutes.
Taste: Very similar to the 12yo - more so than the nose. Cookies. Wood. Dry. Cool burn. Minty fresh.
Deep sherry. In fact, this is a little too sherried and not quite sweet enough for my tastes.
Score: 83 points
. Not quite as balanced as the 12yo.
Analysis: Too early to tell.
OK, that concludes flight 2 of night 1 here in Amsterdam. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I'm happy I get to finish my second Springbank JOLT report on a happier note than the first one. A return question for Serge before I
sign off again: Can you tell a little more about that 'old' bottling of Springbank 15yo?
Springbank JOLT 004 - 27/09/2002 - 20:42 GMT - Serge
Hi, Johannes et all,
Crunch, crunch... yes, the French have dinner later than the Dutch ;-)
Now, about the 15yo 'old'. The bottle looks the same as the 12yo. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ok, I'm almost finished with my meal, time for the malts... Before some non-malt friends ring at the door. But before I start absorbing
the Springer's coconut flavours instead of a regular dessert, let me answer Johannes' questions. First, yes, I always liked the 12yo.
The sample you've got comes from my third bottle, as far as I can remember. And I even remember the guy at the liquor shop - it
must have been in 1997 or earlier, and I wasn't Maniac at all - saying 'You want some Springbank? I've got some, but very few
bottles. It's good malt, but so expensive!' And the guy wasn't Dutch. So, 'expensive' may be the first word that pops into one's mind
when thinking about Springbank. I don't know why I'm telling this, but to me: Macallan = sherry, Laphroaig = medicine, Ardbeg = peat, Springbank = expensive. This JOLT may help us find out if it's worth the extra-money...
Big white 'S' on a black square (not oval). Creme paper, '15' printed in orange, on both sides.
I bought it in Italy, and it should have been bottled in 1995 or so. Someone on the web once wrote:
"This malt makes clear why Campbeltowns are often put in class by themselves.
Thick and rich, with relatively little of the iodine that distinguishes the other Maritime malts."
Somebody else wrote: "Wonderful. Totally different, peaty, oily, full, oily, some sherry, interesting, varying."
But we'll find out later... I'm thiiiiirsty!
Springbank JOLT 005 - 27/09/2002 - 21:15 GMT - Patrick
Oh shit, I totally forgot, gimme 15 minutes and I will be rocking. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I will only have the Springer 10 and 12, and Glen Scotia since you approved it.
BTW, the Springer 15 has hit the shores here, at the Wine & Liquor Depot in California.
I must admit that I am not overly pumped about this, Springer 12 and Glen Scotia were not all that great.
Springbank JOLT 006 - 27/09/2002 - 21:29 GMT - Johannes
Hiya Serge, Patrick & all, Well, it seems this JOLT is slowly taking off.
I'm still taking it easy. Living the good life with a second dram of the Springbank 21yo (46%, OB, 00/199, bottled 2000).
Nose: Ah, that's interesting. Like a blend of the 12 and 15, only better. Powerful.
Sherry and wood again, with an intriguing interplay of spicy and organic notes in the background.
Complex and very well balanced. Fruity episodes. Lemon drops. Oak. Lots of development.
After fifteen minutes it grows some balls and shows some coastal teeth.
Taste: Fruit sweets. Raisin bread. Wood. Salt liquorice?
Very nice, but not quite as spectacular as the nose.
Score: 88 points - maybe even 89. In this case a year of breaking in has definitely helped.
It consistently scored 87 points at earlier tastings but now I feel it deserves more. It's a smashing malt.
Analysis: Really excellent stuff; great for just sippin' away.
I already consumed six drams by now, so I guess I'd better take a little break if I want to remain conscious until more maniacs on the
American continent are joining us. I'm off to grab a little bite to eat (forgot dinner again...) and then I'll be back with some reactions and questions. You kids play nice until I get back!
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Springbank JOLT 007 - 27/09/2002 - 21:31 GMT - Serge
Hi all, Finally, a little malt in my glass! I was wondering whether I should have started with the CV or the 12yo...
Nose: orange marmalade, crystallised tangerine, Grand Marnier, curacao, milk-chocolate, very elegant sherry (that comes from the
cask, obviously - not from pajarette), sandal wood, coconut milk, some sea-freshness, like in the best new Bruichladdichs. And a little
vanilla from the wood, that may prove it's not one hundred percent sherry. Wow! I just can't refrain comparing it to the disgusting Gran Reserva 1981 I tasted during the Paris Festival on Monday. Yes, there's sherry and sherry...
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And I went for the Springbank 12yo
(46%, OB). T.G.I.F, it's no time for supposed-to-be painful whisky (according to Johannes)! I think this bottle was older than 1998. Maybe 1996 or 1997. This is going to be interesting. Johannes just tasted this malt, and his
sample came from my own bottle. This means we've got exactly the same malt!
Let's compare our impressions... It may prove that 'tout est relatif', as we say in France...
Mouth: slightly dry at first, then a whole bunch of exotic fruits. Well, exotic to us Europeans, Krishna ;-).
Tangerine again, orange, cooked banana, and some raisins and dried currants, underlined by a fine sherry note, and some bitter
chocolate and iodine. A constant woody character as well. Not very, very long, which may be the main flaw of this whisky.
My latest rating was 88... But I would downrate it to 86 points
since I tasted the very good latest Bruichladdich (XVII, 1984), that play in the same courtyard. Alright, time to choose a second Springer to taste...
Springbank JOLT 008 - 27/09/2002 - 22:55 GMT - Johannes
OK, maniacs, I'm back - all filled up and ready for one or two final drams. I decided to have another small dram of the Springbank 12yo (46%, OB) to see if I can confirm any of Serge's nasal findings. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Serge made an interesting point in his previous message. Are all nosing & tasting impressions relative? More importantly, if they are,
wouldn't this make the whole concept of tasting notes superfluous? Comparing Serge's notes for the 12yo OB with mine, it's obvious that we're trying to indicate something similar; mainly something in the corner of sherry, wood and fruit.
But we use very different descriptors. Coconut? Vanilla? Grand Marnier?
Nose: Orange marmalade? Check! Yes, the combination of sweet and bitter is obvious.
Crystallised tangerine? Check, if it's the Turkish delight kind of stuff - fruit saturated with sugar.
Grand Marnier? No, not really. Too much salty/peaty notes in there for me. Milk chocolate? Yes, maybe.
Very faint. Sherry? Well, obviously. But what is pajarette? Sandal wood? Sorry, don't know the aroma.
Coconut in the nose? Oh yes, now I smell it. No 'Bounty' coconut, but the milk or flesh of a real, fresh coconut.
Sea freshness? Yes, I'd even call it faintly briny. Vanilla? I seem unable to detect vanilla in any whisky.
As for the taste - I'll try to get into that tomorrow.
Springbank JOLT 009 - 27/09/2002 - 22:57 GMT - Patrick
Well my first malt of the early evening is the Springbank 10yo (46%, OB). And here we go with the tasting notes...
On first nosing it sure smells like an island malt. I am liking the nose more and more with each sniff. At first this malt seems
straightforward but does have a little punch to it. I assume the punch is from the higher alcohol content and the non-chill filtration,
which I think gives this more body and depth. Yes, there is some fish notes in the tail end of the finish and I don't mind it at all. The
sweetness in the nose turns to a candied sweetness. In the mouth, it does have a good mouth feel, I would say on the full side. I
think this is good so far, it is becoming more and more interesting with each sip. The finish seems to be the only thing trailing. Huh,
there may be even traces of fennel in the nose. In conclusion, I really like the nose, the palate comes around, but the finish could use
a little help. Without the higher alcohol content and non-chill filtration, I don't think this malt would be as good.
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Nose: rather salty, the sea, firm and strong, perhaps a subtle fruitiness
Palate: malty, slight dryness, smooth and full Finish: malty, fish, cloves?
Score: 82 points.
Springbank JOLT 010 - 27/09/2002 - 22:59 GMT - Serge
Hi all, Finally, my friends arrived at home two hours ago. These guys wanted to take part in the tasting! But just between us, they
know nothing about malt. Should I have opened my 15yo 'old' and let them drink 20cl each, or just pour them the 15yo 'new', that is
not supposed to be as good as the old one (AND cheaper AND still available). What a cruel dilemma! Ok, with a few more malts behind my tie, I would have opened the 'old'. But I'm still almost sober... So I went for the already-opened
Springbank 15yo (46%, OB, bottled 2002), that I ordered from the UK one or two months ago. I know our fellow American Maniacs complain about the fact that
this one isn't available yet at Uncle Sam's. I'm not sure it's a pity... But let's find out. Nose: At first, ouch! Where are the 12yo's complexity and seductiveness? Burnt wood, vanilla, pine tree smoke. Five minutes later, the
sherry notes appear, plus some sort of Bowmoreish cheap perfume notes. I've got the impression that many young Springers smell like
this one, especially the IBs'. More pungent than formerly, plus these 'perfume' notes that weren't there 'in the good ol' days'. After ten
minutes, some marmalade notes do appear, but the whisky's nose's still quite unbalanced, dry and too spirity. I wonder why everybody's quite crazy about this malt. Oh, yes, I know why, because: Ok, maybe I'm a little excessive... This malt isn't ugly, but sorry, I like the people to get my points!
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Mouth: Very dry and quite smoky. Despite the fact that it's quite powerful, I find it to be aromatically thin. The sherry notes don't mould into the whisky, they stay apart - as a constant undertone. 'Unbalanced' is really the word here.
The finish is quite bitter, but not very long - which is good news in this case ;-)
- Springbank said it's 'extremely limited' - in which sense? ;-)
- Few people tasted it yet
My rating: 78 points
. What's next? Hum, maybe a Glen Scotia IB, and as a conclusion of this first JOLT evening, maybe a Local Barley... And then some other drams with my friends... The night is ours!!!
Springbank JOLT 011 - 27/09/2002 - 23:21 GMT - Johannes
Hmm... So, Serge's score for the new Springbank 15yo is just 78 points?
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I had it at 83 points, just one point less than the 12yo. To me, they seemed fairly matched.
At the same time, Serge scores the 12yo a whopping 8 points higher than the 15yo.
It seems we got a difference of opinion here. This calls for further research.
Sadly, I'm not able to investigate things at any serious level in my current bad nose state.
So, I'm afraid I'll have to call it a night. I'll try to be in better dramming condition tomorrow.
Sweet drams & goodnight...
Springbank JOLT 012 - 27/09/2002 - 23:24 GMT - Serge
Hi Johannes, all, Yes, it's very interesting to see that we have the same feelings, but that we sometimes use different words to
characterise them. I guess it comes from the fact that we use mainly food-analogies, and food is very specific to the different
countries and feeding habits. Well, instead of vanilla, I should have written vanillin. To be more precise, it tastes the 'vanilla taste' you
may find in some wine that's aged in new oak casks. This comes from the wood's tannins. I find it's very obvious in the 21yo's nose as
well (see my upcoming message). Now, what is pajarette (or paxarette)? It's a heavy reduction of grapefruit juice/wine the Spanish
used to make some time ago. I think (I'm sure) many distilleries use pajarette to make their 'sherry finish' whiskies, that should never be compared to the ones that stay their whole life long in some genuine sherry casks. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
But we all know that already... Next message : the 21yo!
Springbank JOLT 013 - 27/09/2002 - 23:30 GMT - Patrick
Well Johannes & Serge, I just opened my Springbank 12yo
. Following this e-mail and the one from Serge, here is what I can draw....... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I do get the combination of sweet and sour in the nose, but I have never associated that with orange marmalade. I am definitely
getting salt and sea freshness. Johannes even used briny. When I mention the sea in my tasting notes I am referring to brine, salt,
and sea freshness, or a combination of any of them. Sherry yes. Sandal wood, never smelled but I am getting a different wood smell, unlike any other I have encountered. No coconut, vanilla, or chocolate. Score: 82 points
. It seems that these mini 12yo's that I have are the sherried ones. I found out that they were bottled in 1995 and they have fell victim to oxidation. The tough part is rating
them. I know that whatever score I give is unfair because it is not a true reflection of the whisky.
Springbank JOLT 014 - 28/09/2002 - 00:09 GMT - Serge
Hi all, Well, I just read Johannes' message about the Springbank 21yo
(46%, OB, bottled 2002) and as I've got a sample of his bottle he brought from A'dam, I'm able to taste this heavy hitter now, without having to open my own bottle. Rule the samples! I just hope
my friends won't notice this little bottle I took on my shelves... So that they don't ask for a dram.
Let's go! Nose: Ok, this is the kind of nose I just love. A lot of sherry, but not only sherry. A lot of oak, a lot of vanilla/vanillin, some
dust but a 'good dust', like an old pupil's exercise book you open again for the first time, thirty-five years later... Some mustiness, but
not too much. Yes, getting nostalgic. A lot of different nuts as well. The coastal influence's still there, in the sense that it keeps the nose very fresh. A joyful nose. A little later, some nice resinous aromas appear.
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I want to keep this one for myself. Me, being an egoist?
Mouth: The mouth can't be bad when the nose's that fantastic. And it isn't.
Of course, it starts dry again, and the wood's (oak) influence is obviously very strong. Yes, it's very, very oaky. Then comes the
sherry and the bitter chocolate - Van Houten ;-) I guess the fact that it's unchillfiltered keeps all he woody elements into the malt.
After ten minutes, let's face it, the malt's still very dry and oaky. Did I try it with a few drops of water? Yep!
Did the malt improve? Nope! Dry it was, dry it is! One would have expected a
little more sweetness and a little more complexity, but it's still very, very good. And the nose is tremendous.
Score: 88 points. Ok, I need to be a better host now... And to do a little dramming with my friends.
I bet it's gonna be 'Islay-time' as always - these peat-freaks know nothing but Ardbeg!
He-he-he, tomorrow, it's going to be Local-barley-time!!!
Springbank JOLT 015 - 28/09/2002 - 00:45 GMT - Davin
Hi everybody,Davin has entered the building.
I'm taking a different approach to JOLTing tonight. Usually I start with the younger versions and progress to the older ones as the
tasting wears on. Tonight, however, I'm going to have the prizes first so I get to them before my palate wears out, and also because I
just got home from work, I'm ravenously hungry and my taste buds are begging for any stimulation. My drams tonight all come from
minis (nips). As I didn't have many Springbanks on hand, and they are getting so damned expensive, I had to settle for minis if I
wanted to have any selection at all and still remain solvent (and married). I did my best to get well-sealed bottles, so these are
pretty much exactly what you'd find in the full-sized bottles. Not being a Springbank aficionado, and knowing there is so much
variation among batches, I'll describe the bottles so those more in the know can fill in some of the blanks. Also, as Springbank doesn't use artificial colouring, I'll add some notes on colour as well.
To begin, a HTH between a 25yo and a 21yo; Springbank 25yo (46%, OB, bottled 1995) Springbank 21yo (46%, OB)
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Is anybody else on line? I have lost everybody's e-mail in a major computer melt down.
Well, I've been off-line for a few weeks now (computer melt-down) so I don't know what my fellow Malt Maniacs have been up to
lately. With no computer, I have set up a Hotmail account and hijacked my son's school computer and am joining the JOLT about 6
hours after the others have begun. It's a weekend-long JOLT, so we should get a lot of tasting done, and it's Springbank, until
recently not a particular favourite. But all that changed some weeks ago in Boston, when Mike Wade and Dave Russo introduced me
to some spectacular Springbanks. I guess there have been only a couple that weren't at least great, and typically those are the ones LCBO brought in to Ontario.
It's a dumpy little red-capped bottle I picked up in Upstate New York. The label is brown, parchment coloured with a burgundy 'S' logo
and silver trim. Code on the back of the label is 95 / 311. Anybody know what that means? Colour: Of the seven Springbanks in front
of me this is the darkest, and it is a rich orangey russet. A good shaking turns the bottle into one of those hokey snow-in-a-bottle
scenes the tourists love, as there is plenty of sediment, including some pretty big chunks, at the bottom.
Nose: Musty, woody with hints of tobacco. Sherry. Rich and thick in the nose, with just a hint of dried fruit. Hands down this is the
winning nose. It's richer, sweeter and much more aromatic that the 21yo. I'd guess this is a sherry-casked malt and the other
bourbon. I'm not alone in my judgement on this one. For the past few days we've had an infestation of fruit flies, and I can now
state, categorically, they have noses as good as any self-styled whisky connoisseur, for they too are congregating preferentially
around the 25yo. Now the nose has an almost candyish minty sweetness and for the first time I'm getting spice and nose tickle and that almost dill-pickly sourness that sometimes accompanies sherried notes.
Palate: OK, I'm tasting this one second and that was a good idea as it is ever so much more flavourful than the 21yo. Candy cane,
spice, malt, wood, bitterness, sherry, fruit, christ, this one is just bursting with a succession of flavours. Again, it coats the mouth.
Oh the wood and leather are switching back and forth. Really fruity, but a dry undertone, not the screaming fruitiness of an Aberlour.
Oh man this is good stuff - well worth buying a full-size bottle. No score yet, but it's going to be in the low 90's. Now there is that
funny candy cane feel again. Is this a Springbank signature? The spiciness lasts a long time and it's very pleasant. Wood and a gentle mustiness appear in the middle.
Finish: Long, spicy, the candy cane feel comes and goes. Score: 92 points.
One of the new typical whisky bottles, this little gem has a light brown label with faint lines running vertically.
The lid is black. The logo is in black and the trim in metallic copper. There's no coding on the back of the label.
Colour: Coppery, but much paler than the 25yo. Again, there is sediment at the bottom, but this time it is very fine.
Nose: Malty. Paper, white glue stick. Later on a whiff of grass or dry hay. Maybe my strategy of starting with the older malt
wasn't such a good one as this is just not nearly the nose I had expected. Still, the palate awaits. Some esters and solvents develop
later on and finally arrives a nose tickling spirit. I'm going to taste this one first as I think the 25yo may overpower it.
Palate: Sweet, very hot, a bit metallic. Some unfamiliar bitterness. A nice smooth mouth feel and out of the spice a nice woodiness
is developing. Ahh! and leather notes way in the back. It lasts a long time and both the metal and the bitterness are absent from the
second sip. Develops a pleasant woody layer all over the mouth and behind it there's cereal, something like weetabix. Man, this is good stuff. It's not scoring time yet, but I'm thinking mid to high 80's.
Finish: Longish. The spice fades away after a couple of minutes leaving the feel, but not the taste of candy cane. Woody. Still a bit malty. Score: 86 points.
Springbank JOLT 016 - 28/09/2002 - 01:50 GMT - Craig
Hi Serge, Hi all, I'm not drinking anything (it's 8.45am and even that is too damn early for me). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I really just wanted to comment on Serge's tasting note about 'old books'.
I know exactly what he means and I got it very, very recently in the Laphroaig 15.
That note of parchment or vellum is prized by me, almost as much as vine cane resin/sap.
(fresh cut vines - not old and not leafy but definitely aldehydic of some description)
Any malt that has both is a true gem. Good luck with the rest of the JOLT.
(The Springbank shipment that was coming to Oz that would've let me participate in the JOLT hasn't arrived yet.)
Springbank JOLT 017 - 28/09/2002 - 03:12 GMT - Davin
I don't know where the other guys are, but I got a bunch of JOLT messages from Serge. Springbank 15yo
(46%, OB, bottled 1994, darker version) Just checked my hotmail. No new messages from the Euro boys. Springbank 15yo (46%, OB, lighter version)
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Looks like we're trying different versions of some of these Springbanks. He's tasting a 21yo with lots of sherry, while mine tastes like a
bourbon cask version. I think most of my bottles are from the mid-90's. Marty Brunet and I found a real treasure trove of old
Springbank minis in a shop in New York. There were old, water-stained cases of them. I bought a good selection of bottles; Marty
bought a good selection of cases. Anyhow none of these tonight are very recent except a 10yo and a 12yo which I hope to get to
later. I've had dinner now, and my wife is watching a chick flick so here I go on my second HTH. This time it's two older Springbank
15yos. There is no outward difference to the bottles, and at first Marty and I thought the two cases were the same, then I noticed
the whisky in one case was much lighter than the other. Closer inspection revealed that one label has a coding on the back while the other does not. Clearly they're from different batches.
This one has a yellow label with green leaves on the thistle below the logo. There is no metallic imprint on the label. Back label coding
reads 94 / 271. It's in the generic whisky bottle with a gold cap.
Colour: Almost identical to the coppery hues of the 21yo. Plenty of fine sediment on the bottom.
Nose: Sherry, dried fruit. Leather, a bit of spice. No nose tingle no matter how much you nose it. It's rich and feels warm in your
nose. I'm back after a long nosing of the other 15yo and now the picklish sourness has entered in just the faintest traces. My
Drosophilian friends like this one better, but its coconut sister is still the leader in this HTH in my books.
There is tobacco now, and more leather. I have heard there is a lot of peat in some Springbanks, but so far I have detected none. I
think that sometimes my nose tunes out the smoke. It bothers me that I sometimes seem to miss the subtler smoky smells. I think I'll
end the evening (later of course) with a good peat monster to test my olfactory epithelium. And finally a little hint of grassy malt creeps in. Mmm.
Palate: Quite sweet, gets spicy quite quickly. Fruity, very rich and mouth-coating. Strangely, the flavours fade quite quickly into a
muted maltiness. The second sip is much spicier and lasts a lot longer. The sherry is subdued but there are dried sweet fruits, like
prunes mixed in. This just doesn't have the flavour spectrum of the other 15yo. It's much spicier but doesn't develop as much over time and seems to fade a little more quickly.
Finish: Long, spicy. Again, there is a lingering feel of sweet spice.
Score: 75 points.
Guess they've laid their sodden heads down to rest up for tomorrow's JOLT edition.
Well, things are just starting to cook here in Canada. Time zones!
The label is identical to the other 15yo except there is no coding on the back.
Colour: Much lighter, almost like apple juice. Again, lots of sediment which swirls when you shake the bottle.
Generic whisky bottle with gold cap again. (Remember I'm tasting minis.)
Nose: Ah yes, these are different malts. A musty, woody earthiness and some sharp esters. Fresh, grassy . A definite smell of sea
weed. It's the first time I've smelled this particular almost kelpy seaweed in a malt. Oh yeah, it's fresh and "coastal" as Serge says.
This nose really develops over time. Now the dominant smell is of marzipan. But the marzipan get sea-weedy again then comes back
like malted milk or coconut. This really reminds me of the coconut sauce I had with a great big land-crab (read spider) dinner I had
once in Vanuatu. Wow, it's overwhelming and so pleasant I think I'm ignoring the other 15yo, which a first nosing seemed much more
promising. Now a little peat has crept in. Peat smoke actually, and my lament of a few minutes ago becomes redundant. The
coconut crab sauce is gone though so I better taste soon or risk missing it in the palate. Much later, a flat grassiness predominates.
Palate: Spicy very smooth and mouth-filling. Leaves a nice spicy malty coating on your mouth. There is bitter chocolate in there and
hot, hot spice. The smoke is back, and ever so much in balance with a spicy burning. It's like burning cloves or cinnamon. There is
an immediate sweetness, but it's subtle. So far I prefer the nose to the palate The middle remains spicy, but a sweetness also
lingers. For the longest time it's strong tasting stuff, and not a fading watered down version of itself.
The candy cane feel is back in the middle along with a fruity sherry taste.
It seems to get sweeter over time.
Finish: Very long. Sweet, and mild tobacco flavours emerge well into the finish.
Finally the finish fades off in a fruity malty sweetness. Score: 80 points.
Springbank JOLT 018 - 28/09/2002 - 04:23 GMT - Davin
Hi everybody, So, I've just dispatched my second JOLT contribution and now it's time to compare two "tween-agers".
Springbank JOLT HTH number 3 - two 12yo's: Springbank 12yo (46%, OB, standard bottle) - A relatively recent version I suspect,
this one comes in a standard whisky bottle with a cream coloured cap and a creamy-yellow label and again, the leaves of the thistle
are green. There is no coding on the back of the label. Lots of very fine sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Springbank 12yo
(43%, OB, black crock) - I've seen this bottling around for some years and suspect this one has been on the shelves for some time. It's in a black crock with a red sealing wax stopper covering a real cork. Colour: Very pale yellow. Well that's six Springbanks tasted tonight. I still have a 10yo to go, but I think I've had enough for one evening. I think I'll sign off
for now, and probably return tomorrow to finish it off. Clear winner tonight was the 25yo. Surprise of the evening the 12yo in the
black ceramic. Mmm, both were great. I suspect though that both are probably well on their way to being sold out. Must try to get a couple more before they're all gone. There's a place in new York that Marty and I know. Woah!! I just shut down Chris's computer, cleaned up all the bottles and washed the glasses. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
These are a pair of 12yo Springbanks. One, I think, is a relatively recent version, bottled at 46%, but the other is unique among my JOLTing whisky in that it is an official bottling, but bottled in a black crock at 43%.
Colour: Quite dark, almost as dark as the 25yo, this portends a well-sherried Springbank, for it's only 12 years old.
Nose: Big sherried, brown sugar. A funny mild sour-vegetable smell. Sweet and sour.
There is something almost artificial about the nose.
Palate: Sweet then strangely astringent and musty. Spicy and tingling. The spice fades quickly leaving a musty fruit flavour like some
musty tropical fruits, marula maybe. Smoke and gunpowder. Sherry with a hint of sulphur. Lots of spice in the front of the mouth.
After a time the astringency leaves and the slippery mouth feel of the other Springbanks replaces it.
Finish: Long, spicy and musty. Score: 78 points.
Nose: Dry, grassy, malty. By comparison to the other, quite malty. Lots of hay smells. Some water plants.
These two noses are entirely different. It's the biggest contrast of the evening. Very, very fresh and dry.
Palate: Sweet right off the bat, then musty. Lots of hot spice. It's lighter than some of the older Springbanks I've tasted tonight, but it's still slippery and mouth-coating. Later on a flash of metal appears.
Finish: Long and fading. Faint cereal malt. Score: 81 points.
I wonder when. . . ? ? ?
Then took a big final swig of the Springbank 12yo
(46%, OB, the darker one) and it was just loaded with menthol and pine needles, all couched in a fruity sweetness. OK we have to add menthol and pine needles to the tasting notes. I don't know how I could have
missed them earlier as it was just so in your face, but hey, there it is.. Menthol and pine needles.
Springbank JOLT 019 - 28/09/2002 - 09:13 GMT - Serge
Hi all, It's 9 a.m. here in France, and don't worry, I'll not start the day with a 'malt tea', nor rate the three good espressos (espressi?)
I just had. Just before I head to town, I would like to comment on the messages some of our New World Maniacs did send while I was carousing and sleeping - the latter being a direct consequence of the former.
- Davin, I need this 25yo. If I understand correctly, it's still available on the New Continent ?!
- Craig, I'm glad you're an 'old book' fan as well! Now, I can't wait to taste a whisky that smells like a 15th Century incunabulum!!! And
BtW, I tasted some recent batches of the Laphroaig 15yo and CS at the Paris Festival, and I felt they are actually still improving, whereas the regular 10yo... well, you know what I mean.
- Pat, the fact that you get no coconut or chocolate in your 12yo may prove that there are many different batches spread all over the world! And your impressions about the 10yo lead me to get a bottle today, so that I can taste it this evening.
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I'll fly to San Francisco in October, and I hope I'll be able to put my hands on this one.
I know where I can find this bottle in Italy, but it's very, very expensive there.
About the 15yo 'old', maybe I'll open it today. It's funny, when I opened its box, I discovered a coupon for a 'single cask offer'. I know
Springbank doesn't do this anymore. They did write on the coupon 'We operate a scheme whereby ordinary (?!) members of the public
have the opportunity to purchase a cask of newly distilled whisky'. But who did select the cask? The people at the distillery or the 'ordinary member of the public'? Anyway, I'll taste one of these 'Private Bottlings' later today.
About the 21yo now: yours didn't show any sherry influence? That's strange! It can't be the same bottling I think. Is the 'S' on the
label written on a black oval? Are the '21' written on both sides printed in gold/bronze? Or is it a different labelling? Anyway, the different batches are said to be very different, the proportion of sherry/bourbon casks varying a lot.
And about the 12yo OB: so, you tasted the 'green leaves' version, whereas I (and J.) did taste the 'red leaves' version.
Yes, I didn't have any on my shelves!
Springbank JOLT 020 - 28/09/2002 - 15:35 GMT - Johannes
Hi, maniacs, Sorry for dropping off so quickly yesterday, I was very tired.
Serge's Longrow question in JOLT-report #002 set me thinking.
If that's the case I'll be even less likely to spend a lot of cash on new bottlings. Serge already commented on the steep prices of
Springbanks. I have to agree. After voicing my opinion on Malt Madness on several occasions I've been accused of being
contra-Springbank. That's not the case. Especially after last night's session I can safely say there are a lot of Springbanks I like a lot.
It's just that the prices are generally so high that I'd rather invest my money in other, cheaper bottles. And if you think Springbanks
are expensive, how about those idiotic prices for Longrows? You won't see me paying over 100 Euro's for a 10yo bottling with so
many excellent tenners available for less than half that price. I'll buy a Longrow the day somebody manages to convince me it's twice as good as the Ardbeg 10yo or Talisker 10yo. Until then, I'll be happy to admire it from afar.
The first things to greet me this morning: dirty glasses. I lack Davin's talent for home economics and after an evening of dramming I
usually feel much too elevated to worry about mundane chores like washing up. Besides, the sobering effect of a big pile of dirty
glasses and dishes always helps me get back to reality in the morning. Anyway, I'm all refreshed now and I've just finished the
transcript of the first night of this JOLT. I didn't make any plans with regards to my own tastings for tonight and now I'm glad I didn't.
I've got lots of ideas from some of the stuff Davin and Serge brought up. The 'batch variation' issue Serge mentioned, for example. We
talked about this a lot on MM but a.f.a.i.k. we haven't done a lot of research on the topic. That's why I will start tonight's proceedings with a H2H of my opened Springer 10 against a fresh bottle from a different batch.
Longrow bottlings are clearly identified as matured in either bourbon or sherry casks. Most of the time that is'nt the case with
Springbank bottlings. But maybe that's not a real problem. It isn't when I look at my own samplings so far. It's almost like there's a
distinct line between the 'bourbon' 10yo at one end (similar to the CV and 14yo 1979 I tasted a few years ago) and the 'sherry' 12yo,
15yo and 21yo at another. The 'bourbon' bottlings all scored less than 80 points, the 'sherry' ones more. Of course, like Serge remarks
in JOLT-report #19, the question remains exactly how much sherry casks were used in these vattings? My first impression of the new
15yo was that the amount of sherry was lower than that of the old 12yo. Combining that with the distinctly bourbony character of the
new 10yo gives me enough courage to ask: Is Springbank decreasing the percentage of sherry casks in their 'standard' vattings?
I'll get on with the tasting process tonight but first I'd like to respond to Davin's question in JOLT-report #015 about the 'codes' on the bottles. All the Springbanks I've tried so far had such a code, although often printed on the glass and therefor hardly visible. I'm pretty sure they refer to the year of bottling. For example, a bottle with code 164/00 would be bottled in 2000 while code 95/311 indicates a bottling date in 1995. The other number might be a batch number. My Springer 21 has the following full code: 00/199 25/08/00. I've heard from a reliable source that it was indeed bottled on August 25, 2000.
I seem to have another bad nose day today, so I won't be sampling a lot of different malts tonight.
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Instead, I'll try to do some more research into 'the coconut issue' - i.e. the validity of my vocabulary.
Anyway, I'm getting ready for tonight. I'll start a little later than last night - around 22:00 GMT I guess. 'See' you then,
Springbank JOLT 021 - 28/09/2002 - 17:08 GMT - Davin
Hi, all, It's 9:30 Saturday morning. Don't let anyone tell you the life of a Malt Maniac isn't one of dedicated deprivation (OK
depravity). Overnight messages have come in from Serge and Johannes and the other Maniacs will have notes posted soon too.
Serge is wondering about my 21yo and it's complete lack of sherry character. Well I'll try it again today as it seems to be the same
version Serge tried. I think tasting it right after the 25yo probably diminished its character as the 25 was just so overwhelming. Could
be my nose too. I have found great variation among tasting days lately. I've been emptying bottles, and so drinking the same malt for
a week at a time. A 10yo Signatory Rosebank, for example, was great one evening and spirity the next. Springbank 21yo (46%, OB, same as yesterday) Springbank 10yo (46%, OB, bottled 2001) It's really interesting how the JOLT themes are developing. The coconut thing I think is quite variable ranging from malted milk to
marshmallows, but with a real coconut milk background. I only really found it in one of the 15yos and to me it tasted this time like the
meat and juices of coconut crabs which are really great big spiders that feed exclusively on coconuts. They have very granular meat.
By the way they were one of the tamer delicacies on menues in even the poshest restaurants in Vanuatu.
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This morning I'll put the 21 up against a recent 10yo version.
New typical whisky bottle with a light brown label with faint lines running vertically and a black lid. The logo is white in a black oval
and the trim in metallic copper. On each side of the logo in metallic copper there's a '21'. Johannes told me to look for coding stamped right onto the glass but I can't find any. Maybe they don't code all the minis.
Colour: Still coppery, but next to the 10yo it's a rich oily orange. A fine sediment swirls when shaken.
Nose: Yes Serge, you're right. There is some sherry in there, but it's not as dominant as some others. There's also a fresh maltiness.
Sweet and sour. Warm, spicy nose tingling. Very nice. Now just a bit of wood and some mild hand soap way in the back. Oh, this is
nice, I'm getting some of that candy cane back in the nose. It's getting rich and fruity, but a little bit spirity. Oh yes Serge, you
know your nose, there's sherry all over the place now. Brown sugar. With only the 10yo as an alternative my little Drosophilian
friends have now deigned to join me in the 21yo. Whenever I see these little lads (and lasses) I'm reminded of two of my Malts-L
friends, Peter Wood and Lex Kraaijeveld. Peter, if you don't know is a Kiwi who has made a calling out of proving there are no salty
tastes in malt whisky. Lex, a biologist works with fruit flies and publishes Celtic Spirit, a really unique and readable malt e-magazine.
And now a minty freshness. Is it the pine needles I found in a 12yo last night? Only a taste will tell.
Palate: Sweet and immediately astringent. Very spicy indeed but no pine needles. The astringency is quickly gone and a smooth
syrupy mouth feel emerges. It's woody and a bit musty. Much less sherry and fruit than the nose would suggest. There's lots of
malt, but so far none of the grass I tasted last night. I think it makes a difference that this was my first sip of whisky this morning.
The astringency for example may just have been the first reaction of my palate to 46% ethanol so early in the morning. Gone today is the bitterness and metal I tasted last night.
Finish: Very long and woody and the candy cane is back. Some maltiness remains. A nice fruity sweetnes still lingers long after the
dram has disappeared. Good thing it's morning as I think there is still quite a wait before this finish disappears and I can get on to something else. Score: 86 points
. Tastes different next to the 10yo, but the score is still in the same range.
It's a good malt, even better than it was last night.
The same typical whisky 50 ml, 30 mm, black-capped, miniature bottle as the 21yo, but the label is yellow, again with the vertical
lines. Black trim rounds off the top of the rectangular label. Once more, there is no coding to be found anywhere.
Colour: Pale yellow, much lighter than apple juice, and surprisingly no matter how I swirl it, there is no sediment at all.
Nose: OK, this is more sherried and fruitier than the 21yo. I'll focus on the other first so I don't get the same nose-drowning effect I
had last night with the 25yo. It's quite fruity with some sweet malted milk-like overtones. They are not coconut, but they are
getting close to it. It's sweet and soury and there's a hint of sulphur. The nose is so much thinner than the 21yo. Wow, compared to this the 21 is a knockout. Over time sweet dried fruits do appear.
Palate: Sweet and hot, but not hot like the 21yo. Much sweeter and sherried than the nose might suggest. It fades quickly though
into a grassy nothing and after a couple of minutes only the spice remains. There is a lot of peppery spice right from the beginning,
and that's what the palate fades out into., but it is moderated by a malty sweetness. I like it, but it's no prizewinner.
Finish: Medium and fading. Peppery then woody and malty, but not much fruit. Score:
77 points.
I passed on the flying fox (bats) but did drink kava made with the spit of virgin boys.
And you thought Ardbeg was earthy!!
Springbank JOLT 022 - 28/09/2002 - 18:48 GMT - Johannes
Hiya, maniacs, Well, with Davin drinking heavily in the morning and me already sipping some Mitchell's 12yo (43%, J&A Mitchell & Co)
it seems the second day of our JOLT is starting smoothly. The Mitchell's is a blended whisky marketed by the family company that
owns the Springbank distillery. It would seem logical that they would have used Springbank malts in the blend, but there's no way of telling.
Nose: Mellow sweetness. Gente with faint hints of fruits. Water melon?
Unfortunately, there's a strong grainy element as well. And it grows stronger.
A pinch of salt? Slightly dusty. A little spicy. All in all it fizzles out rather quickly.
Taste: Smooth, flat start, quickly developing into a big dry burn. Clean and grainy. Very dry.
Gooseberries? A bit like rum. Bitter. Numbing the tongue. Not a lot of substance, but it lasts very long for a blend.
Score: 59 points
. Very respectable for a blend. Analysis: Yes, I recognise some Springbank traits! Unfortunately, it's more along the 'bourbony' Springbank line of the 10yo than the fuller character of the older, more sherried ones.
That's for this report.
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More to follow later tonight - including a H2H of two different batches of the 10yo.
Springbank JOLT 023 - 28/09/2002 - 21:55 GMT - Patrick
Before I go into the tasting notes, I have to explain. Earlier in the summer I scored six of these which are all 5cl. This was the second
out of the six. The first wasn't very good at all and this was better. All the minis have been subjected to oxidation. So the following
tasting notes are not an entirely accurate picture of this malt. I'm not sure how the others will fare, but I do have an idea. Serge told me to drink one that has lost the least amount of liquid, and that's why this one was better.
Springbank 12yo (46%, OB, 95/237)
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Nose: light sherry, pears, some kind of wood, sea notes
Palate: some malt, creamy sweetness, full, faint exotic fruits
Finish: malt and fruit (pears), spices
Score: 82 points
. Ok, this is much better than the other sample, the nose is very different, and very impressive. Even though it has
been oxidizing the sea notes don't lose much of their intensity. Another good mouthfeel, does that have something to do with bottling
at a higher proof? Did I just pick up traces of pineapple or mango on the palate? Whatever it was it sure was good. Even though this stuff has lost a step it's still pretty good. Great nose, very good flavors and development on the palate.
Springbank JOLT 024 - 28/09/2002 - 22:22 GMT - Serge
Hi all, "Is the whisky's official day, today?" my wife Frédérique just asked ... Thanks God, the party we had planned this evening has been cancelled!
As for the numbers Johannes asked for, I haven't got any on my bottles sorry. Or I get blind with age... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
She's right, I didn't do anything that wasn't related to whisky today:
- Writing my report on the Paris festival,
- Urging Frederique to get me a bottle of Springbank 10yo so that I can taste it this evening,
- Going at Olivier's place to finish the interview, while sipping an Ardbeg 1966/1996 and a Bruichladdich 26yo Stillman's Dram,
- Starting to re-write/translate the interview into Frenglish,
- Tasting a second batch of Springers and commenting on these, while going on with the interview's transcript.
Okay, here're the three Springbanks I'll taste this evening:
- 10yo (one of the very first bottlings, maybe 1997 or 1998)
- 1989 Private bottling (same as Klaus')
- Local Barley 1966/1998.
Springbank JOLT 025 - 28/09/2002 - 22:57 GMT - Klaus
Hello Maniacs, I am very sorry that I could not join on friday.
My program for tonight is rather poor, because I don't have many Springbanks in my collection. As Serge said in an earlier message,-
they are bloody way expensive. Additionally a friend who wanted to give me samples of Springbank Signatory Stills of Scotland Hogshead 89/00 45% and Springbank The Ultimate Selection 89/01 43% is still in Miami on vacations.
The story is that I played the computer game "Civilisation". In this game you develope a single tribe from several centuries BC until
the space race to Alpha Centauri. My prospering nation was attacked by the nasty Zulus and very soon the expansonist Iroquois joined in. When I had managed the crisis and taken utterly revenge on my enemies, the clock showed 2 am.
So I will start with Springbank 10yo OB then switch to Sprinbank private bottling 12yo, single sherry cask 505, 1989/2001, 58.1%
(sample provided by Serge). Then I will stay in the region with an 8yo Campbeltown SigVin bastard malt (Glen Scotia) and close the JOLT with Glen Scotia 14yo OB 40% (sample provided by Johannes).
The Springbank JOLT has begun here in Hamburg with Springbank 10yo (46%, OB, 0.375 l bottle). The bottle has a cheap screw cap.
On the back of the bottle is a small label from J. & A. Mitchell & Company Ltd which tells me that the malt is not filtered.
colour: pale gold - this leads to the presumption that I will not taste and smell sherry.
nose: oh shit,- I have a terrible nosing day. Even the amplification through a big cognac bowl doesn't help very much. But maybe
several month in an more than half empty bottle are also responsibe for the weak nose. What I smell today differs a lot from earlier
tasting notes. Now I detect malt, faint coastal notes and a touch off maggi spice. But it is very reserved.
taste: sweet and malty, maybe a touch of coconut and ginger. The taste too has become tamer.
conclusion: I fear that the malt has suffered in the bottle. Some drops of water can revive the malt a little bit. But to much damage
has been done. It is like Michael Jackson (the singer) would undergo beauty restauration surgery. I agree with Johannes that the 10yo Springer OB goes into the same direction as the Glenmorangie 10yo OB. And I too prefer the 'morangie.
Score: 76 points (when the bottle was younger I rated it 2 point higher)
I have now enqueud all my Eric Clapton MP3 tracks to WinAmp. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This kind of music seems to be appropiate for Campbeltown.
The next malt is Springbank 12yo 1989/2001 Private bottling (58.1%, single sherry cask #505).
It is a sample from Serge which I got with our malt sample swapping action.
Our Frenchman can surely tell more about the bottling. colour: gold
nose: alas, - not such a terrible nosing day as I feared. This malt has a strong aroma. But it is difficult to describe.
Alcoholic stinging because of the high proof makes the job not easier. Fresh malty and coastal notes are dominant. Some spices. A touch of peat. Some oakwood. I can't detect any sherry at least not the fruity Macallanish sherry.
Some drops of water added. Not much action. Still no sherry present. But the malt becomes a little more vivid.
A generous splash of water: nothing happens.
taste: easy to take undiluted. Yes, the malt is very dry. Malty sweetness with a touch of mint and bitter chocolate/expresso. Woody
impression follow which leeds to bitterness combined liquorice. Still no sherry present. Mysterious. Some drops of water added. The minty sweetness phase gets longer. The bitter woody finish is reduced (or am I getting used to it?)
A generous splash of water: fresh and spicy sweetness. The wood has almost disappeard.
conclusion: a disappointment! This malt too belongs to the Glenmorangie 10yo / Springbank 10yo group. I can't believe that this malt
was matured in sherry casks because I didn't discover a trace of it. The bitterness in the finish at c/s scares me and in diluted form it is very similar to the 10yo OB. So I give it the same rating. 76 points
. I would have shot either myself or the shop clerk if I had bought a bottle of it for more than 100 Euros.
Springbank JOLT 026 - 28/09/2002 - 23:23 GMT - Davin
Hi Klaus, Pat, Serge, Johannes and others yet to join the JOLT,
Pat - You're tasting exotic fruits. Aren't they pleasant? I really liked them and they are just so subtle yet very present. I guess this is a sign of a well balanced malt when the flavours are distinct but complementary. Serge - You really are a certified Malt Mad Man. Say Hi to Frederique for me. Klaus - you have inspired me to repeat my whole JOLT this time using the official Malt Maniacs balloon glassware distributed at
Amsterdram by Johannes. And since I've already scored them all I can just drink and make comments without having to 'work' too hard.
It's still early here; 5:18 pm to be exact and I'm just back from a very pleasant drive in the Gatineau Hills with my wife. It is just a
glorious Indian Summer day here. Beer weather really, but I'll make the sacrifice for the team and continue with my Springbanks. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I am also tasting from minis. You seem to have a good selection of them.
Did you get them in Minnesota?
You truly must have the most understanding wife in all of maltdom.
Springbank JOLT 027 - 28/09/2002 - 23:27 GMT - Serge
Hi all, Now, I'm in front of a brand new bottle of Springbank 10yo (46%, OB). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I bought it today, because Pat said it's very good malt, that develops beautifully in the glass. I like this, because it lets me improve a
quality I don't have usually: patience ;-) I'm really happy, because I managed to get a beautiful 'second plop' when pouring the first dram. Yeah, the new Springbank's neck is ideal to get a huge second plop! Ok, let's taste it now...
Nose: a little pungent at first (I just opened the bottle), and some toasted bread, oak, a little dust. Roasted peanuts. Then comes a mix of coastal notes (dried seaweed on the beach) and perfume - the same kind as in the 15yo 'new'.
Mouth: again, a little dry at first, smoke, toffee. Then coconut milk, mint and salt. Powerful, generates a lot of retro-olfaction. The
finish is very long and toffeeish, with some dryness and a little bitterness. This one is a little too powerful, maybe because I just
opened the bottle. I think it's well done, considering the fact that Springbank didn't distil much during the eighties.
Score: 83 points. I'll go at it again in a few minutes, after some heavy breathing (the malt, not me).
Back to the interview...
Springbank JOLT 028 - 28/09/2002 - 23:41 GMT - Klaus
No more Springbanks left on my shelves. So I will have to switch to the neighbour - Glen Scotia; My conclusion on the Springbanks tasted so far. None of the malts I have tasted this evening are worth a second bottle. I have
tasted a wonderful sherry biased Springbank 12yo OB (excellent, similar to Aberlour a'bunadh) and a very good Springbank 21 yo OB at
Johannes (possibly too high score in the matrix because I know how expensive Springers can be). These malts might give a hint of the
great Springbank malts which can be obtained. But when I look at the pricetags I find other malts which are more worth spending my
money on it. For example the St. Magdalene UDRM 19yo or even the magnificent Brora Platinum 29yo, or even standard malts like Laphroaig 15yo OB or Macallan 15yo OB.
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Campbeltown 8yo
(40%, Signatory Vintage, supposed to be Glen Scotia). colour: pale gold
nose: malty and grainy, coastal like Springbank 10yo, Glenmorangie 10yo and some Clynelishs/Broras, herbs, shore with some
grass,flour. As all the malts before not very impressive taste: I get used to this sweet malty and grainy taste. Almost seems that I
have tasted the same malt the whole evening. Because of the low abv this malt is quite drinkable but a little bit slobby. 46% or 43%
would suit better. As all the malts I have tasted this evening it lacks depth. It is very one-dimensional.
conclusion: The advantage of this malt is that it is very cheap. 20 Euros vs 40 Euros for the Springbank 10yo OB.
My rating:
76 points. That is 2 points above the rating an ok Springbank 10yo would receive (todays sample had suffered from oxidation). Do you think that this justifies a 100% higher price? I now have fullfilled my official program.
But I will reward myself with some other malts (Glenmorangie 10yo, Brora Platinum) and stay online.
Springbank JOLT 029 - 29/09/2002 - 00:01 GMT - Johannes
Until 22:00 there's been little JOLT activity so I've taken the time to work on Serge's report from the Paris Whisky Festival for a few hours before I got back to JOLT-ing. My bad nose hadn't improved during the day so I decided to limit myself to a few simple samplings tonight. The first thing I wanted to investigate was the batch variation issue. I picked two versions of the Springbank 10yo as my victims. There are several small differences between the batches, for example the fact that my open bottle has black tinfoil with the text 'Scotch whisky' wrapped around the black plastic stopper while the fresh bottle has plain black foil. Maybe Springbank uses several completely different bottling lines? It goes without saying that this research wasn't very scientific. If I wanted to do a proper comparison I would have had to open the bottles simultaniously.
So, the match; Springbank 10yo (45%, OB, 00/164, old) vs Springbank 10yo (45%, OB, 00/257, fresh).
Great, I got a free 'second plop' after pouring the first dram from the 257 - that means good luck, doesn't it?
The colour of the freshly opened bottle from batch #257 is about half a shade darker than my open bottle. lighter
Nose: Yes, the fresh 257 is noticably sweeter at first. The overall character is quite similar for both malts; softly oily with salty sea
notes. Some cereal / malty notes too. Nutty? The 257 isn't quite as spirity as the 164 and demonstrates more sherry elements over
time. After 15 minutes the volume of the 257 seems to have dropped a little in comparison to the old 164. Both drift away into a more
coastal direction. After 10 more minutes the 164 became even more coastal with faint hints of fruit while the other one flattened out a bit more. After maybe 30 more minutes the tables were turned and the 257 got the upper hand again.
Taste: Both are a little salty. Gritty and malty with a big burn in the back of your throat. Honey sweetness. A finish that becomes
drier and drier. That are the major impressions for the 164. The 257 was quite similar, although not quite as sweet. It had a bitter coffee beans element I didn't find in the 164. Maybe burnt caramel would be a better description.
Results:
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Springbank 10yo (45%, OB, 00/164, stale) = 79 points.
Springbank 10yo
(45%, OB, 00/257, fresh) = 77 points - maybe 78.
Much like Davin, I'm going to take it relatively easy tonight. That's why I'm going to have another go at these tenners and compare
my notes to those of maniacs who've sampled a tenner as well. After that I'll think of following in Klaus' footsteps and focus on Glen Scotia for the rest of the evening. Keep on dramming...
Springbank JOLT 030 - 29/09/2002 - 00:28 GMT - Klaus
All the Springers I tried today seemed to resemble the Glenmoragie 10yo (43%, OB). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
And the 'moragie was the winner all the time. Just sampled this malt.
Nose: Yep. The nose is more interesting. In addition to the coastal notes it has some oriental fruit sweetness.
Some spices seem to be there too but not the traditional european kitchen hebs.
Taste: yep - a winner again. Sweet coastal notes and additionaly to figs, bourbon, honey.
It is not that onedimensional as the sweet ceral notes I have discoverd before.
Conclusion: In the matrix stands 85 points for the Glenmoragie 10yo. It must have been a very nice day when I did this rating. Today it receives 81 points
. But there is no discussion the 'moragie beats alls the Springer and Scotia I sampled this eve.
Springbank JOLT 031 - 29/09/2002 - 00:30 GMT - Patrick
Hi Klaus (& other maniacs,) I absolutely agree with you. While the Springers that I had yesterday were good, I don't think they are
worth the pricetag at all. I was going to write about this later but since you brought it up, might as well deal with it now. I have a few
others to deal with later so we shall see how they go. Older Springbanks are far better, even though they also carry a heavy pricetag.
I suppose Springbank does this so they can stay a float, that's the way I see it: they produce small quantities and they have to charge way too much for some mediocre products so they can pay the bills. Just my line of thought.
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Springbank JOLT 032 - 29/09/2002 - 00:31 GMT - Serge
Hi all, Alright, just before we jump at the 'Private', let's see if the 10yo's did improve with a few more minutes in the glass... The
answer is no, not yet. But I just read Klaus' notes about it, and I'm afraid I wouldn't say it compares to the Glenmorangie 10yo, which
is much weaker I think. Or I should say the Springer is much more powerful. Now, I'm sure my bottle comes from the very first batch of
the 10yo, as there's the French 'Vignette Sécurité Sociale' on the back label (this odd tax had been cancelled a few years ago). Yes,
maybe a different batch. Wait, let's give it a new try... Hum, the mouth becomes even more dry, and the cheap perfume aromas play a part that's more and more important. Okay boy, you lost 2 points. (81 pts) Now, it's time to try the
Springbank 12yo 1989/2001 Private Bottling (58.1%, sherry hogshead #505, bottle #33/285). As I told Klaus before, It's a single cask that had been bought by an individual at the distillery, when the whisky had been just distilled. It
stayed at the distillery, and then has been bottled there and shipped to the individual. This means it hasn't been selected to be
bottled as a single cask when it was time to bottle it, but when it was distilled. I think it's a good example of the average Springbank malts before they get vatted, reduced etc.
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Nose: pungent, very powerful and spirity. Klaus, you're right, it really smells like the tenner, but there's something else. I would say some flowery notes. Perhaps lavender - and perfume, definitely (Kölnerwasser)
Mouth: too strong, obviously. It just burns my throat. I need to drown it with water! Ok, done... Orange, a little caramel, bitter chocolate, fresh fruit (pear, apple, peach). What's interesting, is that the finish isn't dry, but kind of smoky.
Score: 78 points. The next one will be the Local Barley. Yep, time to celebrate!
But for the moment, let's work a little more on Olivier's interview...
Springbank JOLT 033 - 29/09/2002 - 00:55 GMT - Davin
Well back to some serious drinking. In front of me, the Springbank 10yo (46%, OB) and Springbank 12yo (46%, OB), tasted this
time in large (66 cl) cognac glasses. Normally I do all my tasting in La Maison du Whisky glasses so my tasting are more comparable,
but I've tasted and scored all of these so I'm feeling adventurous. There's a nice big nose on the 12yo; I can smell it half way across
the room. Sherry and now some sweet and sour sauce. In deep the aroma makes my nose tingle as all kinds of esters and some
(pleasant) spirits arise. There is still fruit, but it is much more subdued than I remember from the other glass. The 10yo by
comparison is very dry and dusty. This is the dust I remember from my Dad's Johnny Walker Red days. It's earthy too, and maybe
even a touch , but just a touch smokey. A deep breath gives a wonderful warm spirity jolt, but without the nose tingle I got from the 12yo.
Pat, what kind of glassware are you using? In the cognac glass this smells much better than it did last night. Now a note arrives from Serge saying he has an independant 12 yo that tastes much like the 10yo. Well, that's not the case with the
OBs I am tasting. They are two very different malts. The 10 has very little sherry, if any, while the 12 is quite full of it. The dry,
spicy, hot 10yo is not that wonderful. I'm not sure why others are rating it so high. It does develop a nice malty middle, but today
there is just a momentary hint of metal. The mouth feel is not so syrupy either. There's a bitterness but not an unpleasant one. The
second sip is a little more mouth coating and the old Springbank slipperyness returns to the roof of my mouth. The 12yo on first taste
has loads of gunpowder and firecrackers. It's hot as well, though not as spicy as the 10yo. In the background there is a distinct note
of fresh water plants - river plants. These glasses really do improve both malts, and also make both seem bigger. The 10yo to me is
nothing like the Glenmorangie 10 others have compared it to. I like Gm10 and used to like it a lot before I had more exposure to other
malts. To me though, the overwhelming flavour in Gm10 is buckwheat honey and I find none of it in any of the Springbanks. This
12yo Springbank is quite the little actor in the mouth going through allkinds of caniptions going from sweet spice to sweet and sour to
sulphur to grassy malt. The 10yo is hotter but a lot more one dimensional and seems a bit thinner than the 12yo. Overall the 12yo is the more enjoyable malt.
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The 12yo also has taken leaps forward by burying the fruitiness and bringing out the dank, musty dried fruity elements.
Oh and the 10yo is now quite malty with overtones of both cereal and grass.
Springbank JOLT 034 - 29/09/2002 - 01:18 GMT - Patrick
Me again. Notes on 2 more. Starting with: Glen Scotia NAS (40%, OB, 233/97) Springbank 15yo (46%, OB)
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This is a 5cl and yes it has no age statement. I looked all over the bottle and it is nowhere to be found. Has anyone else seen a Glen
Scotia mini like this? This set of tasting notes looks alot different from those of a previous tasting. Is it me, or is it these mini bottles?
Nose: earthy, faint pine, mint or eukalyptus / Palate: pine, herbs, mint, smooth
Finish: herb dryness, green vegetables, short. Score: 78 points. This sure has an interesting nose, haven't encountered anything like
this. I guess this is just different all around. The finish is also strange, and different. I'm not all too big on the pine on the palate. I've
never had a malt like this, it's hard to describe. The thing that pops into my head is that I think I am eating a salad. I don't know how
I feel about this one. It's definitely interesting but more tastings are surely needed to help form a better opinion. I could have never
expected to find such flavors in a single malt.. I must say that the structure of this malt is very good. All the flavors and aromas work
extremely well together, that's for sure. The only other hang up I have about this one is that the finish is a bit short.
Yes this is the new botling. There is no codes on it. It is a 70cl bottle purchased from the Whisky Exchange.
Nose: salt, faint peat or smoke, fennel, the sea / Palate: malty sweetness, almost full
Finish: malty notes lingering, sweet, long. Score: 79 points. This one sure is stubborn, having trouble finding things. It does have
those coastal notes which are always good. Maybe my senses aren't up to par or something. The malty notes cling to the cheeks and
leave the taste lingering. Well that trace of fennel has disappeared. I do occasionally get a sour note in the nose. It seems as if this is
simple and straightforward. The 10yo seemed that way but there was more to the 10yo. The 10yo also had more development and a
fuller mouthfeel. I know that sometimes malts are supposed to be simple, but not at this price. I expected a hell of a lot more. The
nose is the only thing that I would give credit to in this malt. Perhaps it just needs to breathe. I like the nose and that it is not as dry as the 10yo. Bottom line, I like the 10yo better hands down.
Springbank JOLT 035 - 29/09/2002 - 01:37 GMT - Serge
Hi all, Now, here's the highlight, and the last malt of the French part of this Springbank JOLT. These 'old' 1966 are said to be some of
the best whiskies money can buy. They've been matured in bourbon casks exclusively, and I think this is very logical, as Springbank
decided to use only local ingredients when distilling. So, I guess they would by no mean have used a type of cask that could change
the spirit's characteristics too heavily (sherry etc.) The barley came from some farms near the distillery, wheras the peat, the coal
and the water were said to come from Campbeltown as well. Yes, even the coal! These 1966 have been bottled from 1996 to 2000, at various strengths, but always at C/S. The one I've got just in front of me in my 'Bohemian nosing glass' is a
Springbank 1966/1998 Local Barley (54.4%, OB).
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Nose: very elegant oak, with quite a lot of tannins. Very subtle, beeswax, honey, old shoe polish. Hints of eucalyptus, crushed pine
tree needles and fresh mint leaves. All this combines beautifully. With a little time, the eucalyptus and pine tree notes grow bigger. Wow!
Mouth: creamy and very, very original. Surprisingly fresh eucalyptus notes at first, then an impressive load of oaky notes that breaks
into your mouth. And then, after the storm, everything calms down. Burnt cake, smoke, mint, pepper and iodine, seaweed and quite a lot of salt. The finish is extremely long, and slightly dry.
Score: 92 points
. Ok, there's no need to say anything else.
This one has been the winner of the JOLT - on my side. Of course, I wouldn't say it's surprising...
But hey, it's always nice to see a malt of established standing keep his high ranking and reputation. Ok, maybe it's time to say
g'dnight. It's 1:34 a.m. here. I'll go on working on the interview for a little while, till my glass is empty. I don't want to miss a drop of it!
Springbank JOLT 036 - 29/09/2002 - 01:38 GMT - Klaus
I want to go to bed soon as well, and then I almost forgot the nightcap in my glass. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It's the Brora 29yo 1972/2002 Platinum
(59.9%, Douglas Laing, 2nd Batch). colour: full amber.
nose: now more than 30 min after fillin the glass: Islayih (peat, smoke) and some stome fruits.
taste: whow! There is a lot of peat this this time. I overwhelms all other impressions. Then there is the feel of smoked salmon, beans
with pears and ham and sweet-I don't kmow which sweet fruit but it must be close to plum or strawbery. Fish.
Conclusion: Other maltsters know which is good and so the pricetag for this malt has risen to more than 200 Euros.
That is very bad because it is beyond my limits.
Springbank JOLT 037 - 29/09/2002 - 01:51 GMT - Johannes
OK, maniacs, A hearty goodnight to Serge and Klaus. I'm afraid I'll have to retire soon as well. Here are my last (intelligable) notes for my second day of JOLTing. I've just had another go at my two batches of the Springbank 10yo
(46%, OB). The nose of the 00/164 seemed more smoky and coastal this time, while the 00/257 was sweeter and more polished. Both had some oriental elements this
time. No big variation in the taste. This time, I wasn't focusing on the differences between the two like in JOLT-report #029. Quite the
opposite, actually. I was browsing through the previous JOLT-reports to see if I could confirm or deny the findings of the other
maniacs. In JOLT-report #009 Patrick mentions salt, the sea and a little fruit in the nose. Yep, that's all there - everything a little
stronger in the 164 than in the 257, though. Patrick's notes on the palate: 'Malty, slight dryness, smooth and full'. Yep, although I'd
translate 'malty' as cerealy & a little nutty for this one and smooth as 'creamy'. He finds malt, fish and cloves in the finish. This is
where my experiences are different. Maybe some malty notes but the primary impression is the gritty bitterness of dry, ground coffee
beans. Patrick feels it resembles an island malt and I can see that. Especially the 164 showed faint hints of peat and smoke.
Then Davin encounters the 10yo in JOLT-report #021. He sampled a batch that was bottled in 2001 as oposed to my two batches
that were both bottled in 2000. At first I though it was obvious that we were talking about completely different batches here when
Davin described the nose of his batch as 'more sherried and fruitier than the 21yo.'. That's so far removed from my experience that further comparison seemed quite pointless. Damn these batch variations!
But then I saw Davin's later notes (JOLT-report #033) from a tasting using the big fishbowls. Now I recognised much more of his
impressions; spirity, smoke, dry, dusty. Yes, now we're talking. But it's disturbing to learn a change of glassware can produce such
radically different results. Maybe we need to choose a 'standard' glass for MM if we want to be able to really compare our notes. That's it for now. I've got some odd notes lying about but I'll add a report on them later.
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Still, in a blind test I would have gone for a Glenmorangie or Glen Scotia instead of an Islay malt.
Springbank JOLT 038 - 29/09/2002 - 03:16 GMT - Davin
Johannes has written me wondering if tonight was the first time I tried his cognac glasses, and yes, dear friend, other than using them
at your place during Amsterdram, I only unpacked them tonight, and what a pleasant reprise. The malts seem so much bigger and
richer. This translates from the nose onto the palate of course, as the extra surface area makes every sip a nosing as well.
Great glasses J. Yes, you've made another convert with your malt mad prosetylizing.
Thanks a bundle. (See the big GLASSWARE TEST by Klaus Everding for more info on this topic.)
Now, finally to pour my "Little Black Jug" Springbank 12yo (43%, OB).
The grassiness is there and now it's joined by a distant smoky fish. And turpentine or pine pitch and an unpleasant solvent. This
glass really brings out the resins, but also a delightful estery, spiritous nose tingle. Wow this is really different. I can smell retsina in
there and that's a wine I really used to love. Must be karma. My wife and I just laughed ourselves silly last weekend at My Big Fat Greek Wedding and here I am tasting Greek wine in a 12yo Springbank.
I'm home alone so my music is playing in the background. Right now it's The World's Best Grass Dance Songs, a compilation of songs
by various drums. For those who have never been to a Pow Wow, grass dancers are usually the first in after the Grand Entry and are
so named because they were are said to have been used to flatten the long grass in the dance arena. Grass dances were originally
performed by warriors and eventually evolved into the pow wow. In the summer in Canada there is a very active pow wow circuit with
at least one and usually several pow wows each weekend where dancers compete for cash prizes. My Mom had some Indian blood in her and every summer I go out to pow wows to honour her memory and my grandfather's.
So... back to my Springbank 12yo.
And now a note in from Klaus suggesting we taste our malts blind.
Well Klaus I think you have a good point; we've all succumbed to the power of suggestion.
It's getting grassy, this Springbank 12yo. And it really is quite pleasant, but there is a bitterness in the middle.
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The cork is out with a nice hollow thunk, but the mouth is large and there are no glugs on pouring.
Power of suggestion? I don't know, but in this I smell the dryness Serge found in some of his Springbanks.
There was almost no dryness with the Maison du Whisky glasses I was using last night and this morning.
Whisky was one of the great downfalls of Canada's aboriginal people and most of my family were teetotal for the past two generations. But then I also have my French ancestors and they include some of the greatest drunks I've ever known.
The spirit has diminished and a round warm sweetness has replaced it. None of that coconut though. I can't even imagine it in there.
A deep inhalation yields more warming esters. And now just a hint of peat smoke and a growing maltiness. It's warm and sweet in the
mouth. Really quite enjoyable. After a few seconds a controlled sweet spiciness arrives in the back of the throat. The maltiness
really arrives in the middle, and there, damnit, a metalic bitterness. I taste this from time to time in malts and have sometimes attributed it to an off palate, but I think I'm tasting OK tonight.
"I would like to enforce blind tasting among the maniacs" says Klaus. "Why? If you know that other malt fans rate this malt very high
or that it has a high price tag you will give this malt a high rating." If you don't know the malt you are more likely to give a fair
judgement. Klaus goes on to say Springbanks are a typical case of "overvoting". In the USA the malt has a good reputatation, but Klaus doesn't think that's fair. At least not for the young Springbanks.
But I remember my early days when I just couldn't agree with Michael Jackson and it really worried me because I though I just wasn't
getting it. Now I know enough to be able to translate his ratings into my ratings which often differ quite significantly. And you (like I
do) rate many Springbanks much lower than many others, although I have to tell you some of the ones I tasted in Boston really blew my socks off, and the 25yo I had last night, (and will taste again tomorrow) is really quite a little beauty.
You also must note that my tasting notes for the same malt do vary among tastings, so i don't think I'm doing too much cribbing.
Scoring though, is another matter. Once I have established a score i am reluctant to change it unless I have good evidence to
support doing so. So, I think with experience the power of suggestion diminishes while others' ideas become more useful for helping
identify the little elusive notes you taste or smell, but just can't put your finger on. But yes, I'm up for blind tastings.
It's malty, but without a heck of a lot of cereal. Now the last of it is down the hatch, so on to another 15yo HTH.
Springbank JOLT 039 - 29/09/2002 - 03:38 GMT - Patrick
Hi, Johannes, I love your interpretation of my terminology. After I read that, what you said makes sense, actually.
Springbank 21yo (46%, OB, no codes), Nose: sherry, spicy, musty? salt, herbs
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It's very interesting. I guess this was all started with Serge and coastal. It is funny, and again interesting, how we use different words to describe the same thing. Now for my last dram of the night, well for the JOLT anyways.....
Palate: sherry, wood, sour fruit, subtle spice and sweetness, herbs or plants?
Finish: sherry and wood, medium, sweet, mint/peppermint
There is something in the nose that is so familiar but I don't know what it is. This nose is very interesting. It's really starting to
develop now (10 minutes or so). What an incredible dynamic nose, seems like it keeps unfolding. There is some chemical note in the
nose, something like glue/thinner/paint. Quite a few subtle notes in this. This malt does show good development and good complexity.
The palate developed slowly, but it was nice, a surprise with every sip you could say. The mint/peppermint note in the finish is very
nice, adds a dash of complexity. This keeps you on your toes, you have to pay attention or you'll miss something. I would have liked a
little more in the finish. Final thoughts.....tastes very good, great development and complexity, excellent nose, good balance, solid. This is a very, very good whisky. Score: 87 points.
Springbank JOLT 040 - 29/09/2002 - 04:39 GMT - Davin
Hey where is everybody? Is it just Pat and me now? I'm moving on now to another head to head of my two older 15yo's. But I want
to talk first a bit about batch variation. From what some of the others have tasted during this JOLT it seems like the batch variations
are subtleties, but my experience with the 12yo's and the 15yo's is that the different batches were like entirely different whiskies and
not minor variations on the same theme. I didn't do the 12yo's HTH tonight, but I will the 15s and we'll see if my observation holds. These cognac glasses really do amplify all the little nuances. And now to the challengers:
Have I had too many tonight? For my nose fails me.
On the palate, No Code starts sweet then becomes sweetly hot and spicy.
Whew, it's only 10:03 and I'm nearly done. Well, I had a good early start today and still managed to have lunch at the home of
Mackenzie King, our former Prime Minister. We had a pleasant walk around the grounds enjoying what has to be one of the finest days
so far this year. It's Indian summer which mean brutal cold will follow shortly. Hey, now don't get excited. I'm not that important.
King's been dead for over 30 years and his former home "Kingsmere" is now a restaurant open to the public and the food isn't even
that great. I had a lovely cranberry tart for desert and my keen nose and palate honed by a morning of whisky tasting detected
nothing so much as REFRIGERATOR in this over-priced delicacy. Still the place was packed even though parking alone costs seven bucks.
My palate is definitely dying, but the distinctness of these two malts remains. The non-coded is much hotter much quicker and hasn't
got the same robust body as the 271 does. One more sip and then I'm make my final swig a 1:1 vatting of the two. The nose of the
vatting is musty and leathery. The sherry is there, but somewhat less so than before the hybridization. It's warming, but with only
minimal nose tingle. Sweet on the tongue, but peppery and hot. There's a woody bitterness and I don't think its as good as either of the originals. A nice slippery mouth feel reamians. Ah it's pretty damn good. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In the left hand glass, a rather ample sample of the old Springbank 15yo (46%, OB, code 94/271, bottled 1994).
In the right hand glass a similar portion of its codeless twin, the new Springbank 15yo (46%, OB, bottled 2002).
These are not nearly as different as I remember them. 271 is immediately musty fruity and sherried, but its codeless sibling, though
malty, is also somewhat fruity and sherried. Not as much though. Both are full of robust warming sweetness, though the 271 is fuller
richer and rounder. Was it so last night? I'll check my notes. Yes, the sherry ranking remains the same and the coconut is back in
the codeless version, but this time it has appeared much, much earlier and is more like a coconut chocolate bar. It's fresh and grassy,
but there's a woodiness in there as well. Both versions give a decent nose tingle with these glasses, but the 271's is rich and warm
and fruity while the uncoded one is dry and sharp. And now the codeless one has some nuts coming through, almost like walnuts.
These glasses are bizarre! Both malts are sweet and warming, but 271 is much fuller and fruitier.
It's malty still and has anice smooth mouth feel. 271, when I can get the fruit flies out of the glass and sip it, is still sweet and fruity
with a brown sugar note lying over a hot spicy base. They're both good, but not as good as last night. I wonder if my palate is
wering thin; Im pouring larger drams tonight (about 30 to 35 ml compared with about half that last night). Ahh some woodiness and
tobaccoiness in the middle of 271. I think that's my first tobacco in a Springbank. And now the candy cane appears, especially in the
feel on the roof of my mouth. Yeah, these are getting better. Another sip of 271 and the first impression is still sweet then fruit then hot spices, pepper maybe. The pepper goes deep into the throat and it really tingles.
Signing off now, but back tomorrow with the 21yo and the 25yo.
Springbank JOLT 041 - 29/09/2002 - 11:53 GMT - Johannes
OK, it's the morning after the night after the morning after the night before here at JOLT-central.
Once again, I'm not sure I will be able to do much serious tasting tonight - bad nose days are here again. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I've just finished the transcript of day 2 of out SpringJOLT and I'm glad I've finally got a chance to take everything in before things
heat up again later today for our final day of JOLTing. It looks like the 3-day format is a succes. We've already assembled more malt
data than on any of the previous JOLTs and we still have one more day of dramming in front of us. And we're getting a lot of other interesting information as well. I didn't know Davin was part 'red' pow-wowing injun! I did
know about his French ancestry but now I start to understand why Davin was so attracted to modern day fire water like Loch Dhu 10 and Edradour 10 during the June Festival.
And having ancestors who can be described as 'some of the greatest drunks I've ever known' is just an added bonus ;-) On a more
serious note: Davin seems to get different things from different glasses, just like Klaus did in the Big Glassware Test. I already voiced
some concerns about this in JOLT-report #37. What's the use of adding these Springbanks to the matrix if the results are so dependent on the size and shape of our glasses?
That's a real problem for me - I get 2 or 3 good nose days a month if I'm lucky. So a lot of the time I just sit around waiting for a good
nose day to come by so I can sample this or that malt. The problem with planned 'events' like whisky festivals or JOLTS is that I never
know if I'm going to have a good nose day or not. Anyway - I'll try to follow the JOLTing as best as I can but final judgement of the
Springbanks will have to wait. The results will be published on Malt Madness in log entry #124 as soon as I'm done.
Springbank JOLT 042 - 29/09/2002 - 15:17 GMT - Roman
Hi, I had to be at my parents' this weekend, and they don't keep any malts, so I was enjoying some very dry sherry they just brought
from Spain. So, tonight I will be JOLTing with a modest programme: Springbank 10yo (46%, OB), Springbank 12yo Rum Wood Finish (54.6%, OB), Springbank 21yo (46%, OB, 0.375l), Glen Scotia 14yo (40%, OB). Springbank 10yo
(46%, OB) was the first one: Nose: oranges, lemons, caramel, gentle, but a bit oily.
Taste: Caramel streaks on oily background. Some bitterness in the aftertaste, as if underdeveloped slightly. I was told by a
shopkeeper in Vienna, that the Springbank 10 line in the last couple of years was not as good as before, and I see the reason. Still, it is an underdeveloped excellence, which is just good, not perfect yet. A benchmarkish rating of 80 points
.
Next: Glen Scotia 14yo (40%, OB)
Nose: Light sherry. Notes of peat, some hints of oilyness, dryness. Woody. Vanilla.
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Taste: Very dry. Woody and very burning. Garden fruits - apples, cranberries, plums.
Rating: 85 points
. A friend of mine argued that GS 14 is a rather salty malt, but I can't agree with him!
Time to take a little break before two bigger hits - the 12yo RWF and 21yo. So, read me again in the evening. :)
Springbank JOLT 043 - 29/09/2002 - 17:48 GMT - Krishna
My JOLTING on this Springbank stuff is on two bottles; Springbank 21yo (46%, OB, 70cl) I bought this bottle in September 2000 in Inverness, Scotland. The store's name is "Odd-bins" and
I must tell you that it has a very good collection. Since I had a tight purse, my choice was limited to any bottle costing about 50 GBP.
The guy in the store recommended this Springbank for 46 GBP, which I thought, was a very good deal. As I had finished this stuff long
time ago my tasting session today on this 21 y.o is partly from memory, partly from short notes I had kept with me and the bone-dry
bottle lying in the shelf. I had always observed that the smell of the whisky described by a neutral person (a non drinker) gives a
non-biased and some times the best description of the nose. I had asked my wife to smell the bone-dry bottle. She said – "Coconut". There can't be a better description! Colour – deep amber. Texture – thick and oily.
And I tasted the Springbank 10yo (46%, OB, 70cl) on September 28, 2002.
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1) Springbank 21yo (46%, OB, 70cl)
2) Springbank 10yo (46%, OB, 70cl)
Nose – Definitely sherry and woody.
Palate – The first sip makes you feel whether there was some salt in the glass when you poured the whisky. Fruity.
I had always observed that the true character of any whisky unravels only after third or fourth dram. When my friend was pouring the
third one I could distinctly recognize the hint of a rotten coconut. Grated raw coconut is an integral part of daily cooking of any south Indian meal and how can I miss the smell?
Finish – The finish is the most satisfying. It gives a "complete" feeling and the saltiness turns into sweetness.
The Springbank suddenly springs to the top of my charts. Undoubtedly a stupendous whisky. My rating – 92 points.
A friend of mine got this stuff for me from Italy. So I do not know the price. I think the bottle is meant for Italian market through a
distributor named "TRE ARCHI". A 70 cl, 46% abv bottle, short and thick. Colour – pale golden yellow.
Texture – thin, doest not stick to the walls of the glass much.
Nose – Definitely sherried, spicy with a hint of mint. My mind prejudices me to seek for coconut smell. But I don't find any.
The taste – sweet and spicy. The first couple of drinks are hard on the palate, but with little water, it tastes more sweetish.
Finish – lasts long. Overall feeling – a damn good whisky despite being a 10yo.
It is surprisingly smooth compared to any whisky of the same age I have tasted so far.
A remarkable tradition from Campbeltown.My rating – 85 points.
Springbank JOLT 044 - 29/09/2002 - 23:35 GMT - Roman
Hi, So, my time to join in again with the Springbank 21yo (46%, OB, 70cl). Finally, the Springbank 12yo Rum Wood Finish
(54.6%, OB). This the rare bottling of Springbank series of "Wood Expressions". We almost had a fight with Johannes over this one at Ton Overmars, luckily he had TWO bottles. Now, Johannes decided to keep his
bottle closed till second coming. :) I opened it after I came back from Amsterdam and I never regretted I did. :)
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How slowly do I drink this little 0.375l bottle of the magnificent stuff!
Nose: sherried, woody. Light citrus notes. Toffee. Spices, lot of notes.
Everything extremely balanced. One of my favorite noses, and you know I am more fan of the tasting aspects of whiskies!
Taste: sherried with stronger citrus notes. Woody. Bitter and sweet notes, cocoa, but honeyish. Again, superbly balanced.
Rating: 92 points. Only problem: it is expensive :|
Nose: A whole lot of rum. Cheese notes. Extremely powerful. Citrus. Roses.
More and more fruits in the nose a while in the glass.
Taste: An UNSHERRIED Springbank. Less rum than in bouquet. Raisins. Later rum becomes stronger. A hint of peat and a very nice,
warm, sweet afterburn. The malt really developes in the glass and even more in the open bottle.
Initial rating for it was 86. Now it is at 88 points.
Springbank JOLT 045 - 30/09/2002 - 01:36 GMT - Mark
Hi, all! I have read no more than one or two of the posts this JOLT, and here I now sit with my first free hour or two and nearly 60
JOLT related emails to read. This has been a weekend packed bursting-full of music, and I have really been enjoying all of it. However,
that has left me with scarcely any time to myself, and the lot of you JOLTers . . . too bad, that. I am Springbankishly impoverished at
the moment (never been swimming in the stuff, truth known). The 'new' 10yo Springbank, the Longrow 10yo bourbon wood, and the
Signatory Signature Campbeltown 8yo (bastard Glen Scotia) are my only Campbeltown malts. If I juxtapose these malts amongst
themselves the maximum number of Head-2-Heads I can sample will be three. The mathematical limits of my SpringerJOLT are just as lean as my bottle supply from C'town.
Considering all of the factors of my little fishbowl JOLT, I have now devised a plan of attack which will still be moderately interesting
for me, and will still provide some not too dreadfully dour drivel for those Maniacs who are still JOLTing to read. I have no stellar LBs or
21yos, nor do I have any 12yo 'old stock', or 15yo rum wood. My scheme is quite simply to read a number of the posts with each dram
pair, and offer commentary on those posts, and some thoughts on my tastings. Really, I am just having a dram or three while reading
all of your wonderfully electric JOLT shockers. Perhaps in lieu of a TOP 3 or TOP 5 list of my own I will tell you which 3 or 5 from your
JOLT stocks are my standout favorites (based on your reports, of course). My nose, belly, lips, and tongue cry out for more Springbank, but my accountant says 'not now!' BTW, can a whisky stash be considered as 'liquid assets?' I hope so!
Start JOLT - I will pour a fat dram of the 'new' Springbank 10yo (46%, OB, raised lettering on the shoulder) and begin reading your
posts. As soon as that is safely in the glass (simple tulip shape - nothing special) I will pour the 'bastard' Vintage Campbeltown 8yo
(40%). I've got 'em both here, and the first impressions I get on the nose are: fruit, and a fresh mountain brooklet with fish sleeping in
deep pools and eddies, from the Springer; and an earthy mustiness from the 'Scotia. Wow!!! I just went back to the Springer, and the
hit of caramel is just amazingly strong! Toffee? . . . Yes -- a butter toffee, but so much sweetness on the nose that it is almost
unbelievable. I am rather amazed that I am getting candy of any sort on the nose of this Springer 10yo, because when I have tasted
it twice before, on its own, I never got that candy smell. Lovely. The toffee is there on the palate too, and in the finish, but a false
sense of saltiness mutes it (mask it? harmonizes with it?) somewhat. Now, at about a minute into the finish, I get some peated malt
coming through. I am keeping the 'Scotia covered for a moment or two, until I can have another go at the nose. There's something
present in that one which I want to say is a bit unpleasant, dank maybe, but I want to try to pin it down better, and I am hoping that
a lid will afford me a stronger concentration on the next nose. Okay, now I am off for to read some of your posts whilst finishing this lovely Springer 10yo.
I have just read Patrick's second post (message #009). Interesting. I also get some spicy zing, but not as cloves or fennel, and not in
the nose or palate, but in the finish. Now, very late in the finish, which for me is much longer and enjoyable than for Patrick, I get a
spice combination not unlike what is common for mulling hot wine. The fishiness I get on the nose and late palate, pre-finish, is very
much like the smell of a living, breathing trout - a very clean and wholesome smell, and not what I normally associate with the term
'fishy'. I should note that I am not adding water to either of these today. Okay... Now I have settled a bit on the bastard 'Scotia nose
issue. I detect the smell of a thick carpet of fallen needles below a stand of pine trees. Mushrooms are growing nearby, and
occasionally asparagus. Squirrels have hidden pine nuts and green cones among the needles, and everything has an earthy mulch smell
to it. I certainly can't recall getting this much from the nose of this malt before, and I am very eager to see how much of it comes through in the palate and finish.
More reading . . . Johannes points out some interesting differences we all will encounter when comparing how we taste, and describe
the taste of, a whisky. I read the bit about sandal wood and almost got a soupçon of it in my 'Scotia 8yo! How much of what we
taste or think we taste is simply the work of suggestion on our brain? Taste tests have been conducted in America involving
blindfolded volunteers and professionals who were eating and drinking everything. Everything was in small, bite size pieces, and the
liquids were all taken from the same size glasses. Many amateurs and professionals incorrectly identified quite an amazing amount of food and drink! Score for the new Springbank 10yo (46%, OB): 80 points - to be gladly reevaluated soon. Score for the Vintage Campbeltown 8yo
(40%, bastard Glen Scotia): 73 points.
Back to the reading, and another paring. Maybe I'll try the Campbeltown 10yos I have: the new Springer, and the Longrow bourbon
wood. I may have to end early, and *not* compare the Longrow with the bastard 'Scotia, for time's sake, but I may also return later
in the evening for another go . . . it is yet only just shy of 6pm here. I just tasted the final drops (truly!) of the 10yo Springer and the
bastard 'Scotia, and I must say that I get malt and peat from the Springbank, and smoke (not Islay smoke though) from the 'Scotia.
That makes the case stronger for tasting the 'Scotia against the Longrow - I'll have to see how the evening progresses though. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Now, I don't think that the mystery detracts from the experience . . . rather, it enhances it a great deal.
I just read Serge's posts and I feel much the same about this 'new' 10yo Springbank. I love the nose, and there are lots of other
things going on. It is the nose which best sings the praises of this malt, and because of that, I will award it 85 points or less, needing much more throughput to get into the high 80s or 90s bracket.
Back to the bastard 'Scotia. Nothing solid in the palate yet, but I will report that the finish is somewhat thin and metallic, even sharp
somewhat, and not unpleasant, but not pleasant either. It remains elusive, yet unremarkable, on my palate, but I like the nose, so I will boost it a bit from my early feeling of 70-ish.
Springbank JOLT 046 - 30/09/2002 - 03:38 GMT - Mark
Hi, I am still JOLTing! New Springbank 10yo
(46%, OB) and Longrow 10yo Bourbon Wood (46%, OB). These two really go well together! I recommend that you all try them in a H2H sometime.
I find it difficult to rate these two malts H2H, while tasting them against each other is quite easy. Looking back over The Maniacs'
Matrix I see that I have rated the Longrow bourbon wood at 91 points. Johannes suggested that I may have (overzealously or not)
boosted the points of several malts I have tasted and loved. At the time I originally rated the Longrow, I was thinking two things: one,
it is certainly a great whisky, and it should rate with the best. Two, I knew it was better than 90 points, but I was uncomfortable rating it very close to the 95 mark, so I rather arbitrarily assigned it 91 points.
Now I find myself comparing these two whiskies with more or less equal favor, and I only moments ago rated the Springer a rather
unspectacular 80 points. Now, I have planned to write extensively on the merits and methods of ratings, and more specifically on my
own ratings, which are very young and not well-seasoned. I had aimed at assigning points to whiskies as accurately! as possible, but
with room to maneuver around a bit due to subsequent tastings and further development of my senses. So, I assigned numbers
divisible by five, leaving the four numbers betwixt for tie breakers and fine tuning of a rating, as well as leaving room for the many
hundred more malts I expect to taste. I mean, what purpose does it serve to assign a malt 83 points if there are none at 80 and none
at 85? So, I keep it simple; unless there is good reason to rate a malt with a value ending in other than a '0' or a '5' I try not to do so. So, where does that put the ratings of these two for this session?
I hate to have to do that, but these two malts were striking me as more similar in quality than was reflected by their previous ratings
of 80 and 91, respectively. Now I feel like tasting anything I rated at 89 or 90 against the awesome Longrow, and I feel like the
Springer would also fair well against other whiskies on the 85 mark. Oh well . . . such are the intricacies of arbitrary ratings systems!
Now that the hard work is over, I am letting sit covered in my glass a hopeful concoction containing roughly 40% Springbank 10yo,
and 30% each of the Longrow 10yo and the Signatory bastard 'Scotia I have been sampling tonight. I just added some water and I immediately got a strong hit of citrus zest - lemon and tangerine.
Quoted from Davin's first note (JOLT report #15): << cut >> Now the nose has an almost candyish minty sweetness and for the
first time I'm getting spice and nose tickle and that almost dill-pickly sourness that sometimes accompanies sherried notes. << cut
>> That is what I was getting with the metallic notes on the palate of the bastard 'Scotia, but I couldn't find the words. Sourness. I
didn't detect much sherry . . . was there some there? Can't be sure, though I think not. But it was a sourness. And, the first time I
have detected that. Thanks for the nudge, Davin! I wonder if the spiciness and candy notes Davin mentions in his second note (JOLT
report #17) are signature elements of Springers? I have tasted the 21yo and the 10yo I have here at home, and the 10yo definitely
has the spice and candy. The 21 had candy, I recall, but what do you guys think? Well, I'll keep reading, and maybe I'll find out. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What a pair! They nose like cousins, and kiss like timid schoolchildren . . . can they marry?
I may check later, if there is time left for a Campbeltown home vatting. Again, I really like the nose of this Springer. It may yet
become one of my favorites, and at less than $50 that can't be all bad! I am getting overripe banana skins on the Springer, and some
dust (thanks, Serge!) on the Longrow. The Longrow has a wonderfully quiet smokiness to the palate, but I don't get any smoke at all
on the palate today. The bottle isn't old (less than six months), and wasn't too empty (about 1/6th full). So, I don't think any smoke
has disappeared; more likely is the possibility that the smoke is very subtle and will sometimes change its character, and appear in a lesser rôle. I get both peat and 'green malt' (as opposed to a fully dried malt -- no other way to say this).
Interesting! -- I just mixed in my mouth a sip of one with a sip of the other . . . Wow!! The peat really comes rushing in! Nosing back
to forth gives the impression that the Springer is somewhat taller, and the Longrow somewhat fatter, but both cut a good figure, and
both are well-bread. These are very tasty malts. Ever nose further from a glass of malt than you usually would? I just got a great hit
of soft smoke from this Longrow bourbon wood. I get it in a definite way at a distance of 4-6 inches from the mouth of the glass, but
it disappears altogether with my schnoz right upon the lip of the mouth. Dipped further into the glass, my nose gets even more alcohol
burn and less of everything else. I have had both of these malts covered for the past fifteen minutes, and the Springer even more
wonderful than before . . . truly luscious toffee/vanilla notes. I must remember to try this one against The Macallan 12yo OB sometime.
I will have to say that, against another Springbank product, specifically this Springer 10yo, the Longrow is somewhat less stellar . . . it
doesn't stand out as much. They are both good products, and similar in quality. I prefer (today) the nose of the Springer and the
finish of the Longrow, and I think that they dance equally well on the palate. In a way, they really are not so comparable in the
matter of taste, as they are completely different products. With my credibility on the line, I will say that both of these fine malts will
benefit from my future tastings and comparisons. I feel that I must shave a take a bit off of the Longrow's mantle for now, and I should only rightly rethink my evaluation of the Springbank 10yo in a confident upward thrust. So . . .
Springbank 10yo (46%, OB, 'new' bottling): 85 points
Longrow 10yo (46%, OB, Bourbon wood): 89 points
Springbank JOLT 047 - 30/09/2002 - 08:09 GMT - Patrick
Hi, guys. My final thoughts for this JOLT: I thought it was fantastic. The format was excellent. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I really like the idea of leaving it open all weekend. It seems like it allows you to take more time with things.
The biggest plus is that it allows for more drinking time. I had a blast, that's all I can say.
Springbank JOLT 048 - 30/09/2002 - 20:56 GMT - Mark
Epilogue... My tasting is long finished now, and I have read all of the posts. One of our future JOLTs should be a GlasswareJOLT. Each Maniac should choose three malts (or any number suiting his drinking style)
and make good comparative tasting notes on each malt in each glassware design. The malts selected should be favorites of the
Maniac, whether an 'every day drinker' or a 'top shelf special occasion malt'. The point is, we will all be tasting malts we know and
love. And, I think that we should all taste these malts in the same glassware (i.e., huge fishbowl, tulip, and some other glass too). We
could all talk about it and agree which glasses we will use, so there is some sort of standard (for this particular JOLT). We could also
accept notes from *any* glass, standard or not, as long as we have a good description of the glass being used. In this way, we will not exclude any maniac from the JOLT because of glassware availability issues.
The flights would be arranged like so:
1. Organ Dreams-3 / Christopher Herrick, Organ of Truro Cathedral / Music composed by: Edwin Lamare, Albert Ketèlby, Sverre
Eftestøl (this is his arrangement of the Scottish folk tune Dance to Your Daddy), Oskar Lindberg, Carl Nielsen, Alexandre Guilmant, Herbert Howells, Percy Whitlock, and Johannes Brahms. Hyperion (CDA67317), recorded on 25 26 October 2001
2. Advent at St Paul's / The Choir of St Paul's Cathedral / John Scott, Director of Music, organ solo, Andrew Lucas, organ
accompaniment, Some chant bits, and music composed by: Palestrina, Handl, Peerson, Lloyd, Byrd, Wilby, Weelkes, Britten, Anonymous, Gibbons, Rutter, Willcocks, Bruckner, Parsons, and Carter. Hyperion (CDA66994), recorded 23-26 June 1997
I really love that organ disc the Herrick)! I have been playing it often, lately. Some really atmospheric stuff there. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I have an idea which I will preface with this great quote from Johannes in JOLT report #037: << cut >> But then I saw Davin's later
notes (JOLT-report #033) from a tasting using the big fishbowls. Now I recognised much more of his impressions; spirity, smoke,
dry, dusty. Yes, now we're talking. But it's disturbing to learn a change of glassware can produce such radically different results. Maybe we need to choose a 'standard' glass for MM if we want to be able to really compare our notes.
<< cut >>
1. Whisky X, in each glass type / 2. Whisky Y, in each glass type / 3. Whisky Z ... you get the idea. I like Johannes' idea for a
standard Maniac glass, but as another (2nd) idea for a glass-based JOLT. That one could be a JOLT where we taste one distillery's
product in *only* one type of glass, say the big balloon (a.k.a., big fishbowl). That would be great! I really don't fancy (at this
moment) tasting each and every whisky from the same standard glass every time I taste for MM . . . I like to mix it up a bit. I am
embarrassed to say that I have forgotten to mention anything about the music I was listening to while JOLTing. I have the Messiaen
music (Saint François d'Assise) running through my head daily, all day, sleeping and waking, and now too, Mahler's Symphony No. 3
(we heard it live, Friday evening). Also ever present are the delicate Christmas flowers which are Sibelius' Op. 1 (Nos. 1-5). These
three are constantly fighting over space between my ears, and it's a pleasant battle too. When I want to relax, I find that I need an
outside source of music to dampen the sounds of the others inside my head. Last night I chose to listen to two cds from the English label Hyperion.
The reason for playing the Advent disc is duty-bound, but not without some resultant pleasure. I love this one too, but I was listening more for ideas on what I might program for my church gigs this holiday season.
I highly recommend both of these to anyone who likes great, tuneful music.
I think this is my final SpringerJOLT e-mail.
Springbank JOLT 049 - 30/09/2002 - 23:26 GMT - Johannes
OK, people, Mark's musical mail concludes the coverage of three days of JOLTing. (Well - four days actually...)
I wasn't able to make a thourough analysis myself this weekend but watch my Liquid Log for my revanche next weekend... Meanwhile,
the ratings have been posted on the Matrix, so you can review tonight's results in numerical form. But please note that one of the
most important conclusions of this weekend was that batch variation is an important factor when dealing with Springbanks.
Sweet drams, Johannes
Click
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The following quote proves that he's no conventional thinker;
"They make some sherried whisky, why shouldn't I make some peated wine?"
Also on this page: a transcript of our Springbank JOLT in Spetember 2002.
After the interview with Mark Reynier
in MM#2,
Serge susprised us once again
with a solid piece of work. This time he
had an inquisitive chat with his fellow
Alsatian Frenchman Olivier Humbrecht.
Apart from being a famous wine maker,
Olivier loves single malt whiskies as well.
... of MM Issue #04
Note from the editor: This interview was
done before Olivier joined the malt maniacs.
Click HERE for more malt mania!
