Springbank 12 years old, Calvados Wood /52,7%/ – In 2002 Springbank Distillery launched Wood Expressions, a unique range of its single malt whiskies (Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn) aged in various types of wood and bottled at natural strength. The whiskies included in the range were either matured solely in the particular wood type or underwent several years long finishing maturation. Whisky producers do not employ calvados casks too often, thus the expression presented here deserves special attention. The whisky distilled in April 2000 spent first 6 years in ex-bourbon casks, then was transferred into calvados casks for additional 6 years. Bottled in October 2012 at natural strength of 52.7% abv with an outrun of 9420 bottles.
Nose: lovely combination of peat, apples and pears, traces of bananas and limes, vanilla, buttered toast, hints of cinnamon and distant whiff of sea breeze.
Palate: apples and pears again, green grapes, candied lemon peel, pepper, notes of peat and leather, hints of cinnamon and delicate oaky dryness.
Finish: fairly long, apples and pears wrapped in sea mist and peat smoke.
