This year Springbank is launching several new bottlings on the market for all its three brands (Springbank, Longrow, Hazelburn); today we are dealing with the most unpronounceable of these ‘novelties’, namely the Springbank Rundlets & Kilderkins, ten years and two months of maturation in small, approximately 70 litre, barrels (i.e.: Rundlets and Kilderkins, yes, that’s their name, complain to the Scots). As with the Laphroaig Quarter Cask, these barrels are used because the whisky matures faster, due to the greater contact between distillate and wood. The colour is coppery.
N: without water, it remains rather closed, but slowly the alcohol leaves room for a wide bouquet of aromas: from fruit in syrup (peaches, cherries) to fresh fruit (apricot, ripe melon), from citrus jam to almond paste. Sultanas, candied ginger. It also has ‘perfumed’/floral notes, but they are in the middle with something more mineral (brine?). Water actually removes alcohol and increases the smoky sensation, while it opens up some almost meaty notes, integrated with a bit cloying sweetness.
P: without water, it still seems a bit too alcoholic. It follows a curious evolution, because the attack is focused on bitterness (between vegetal and mineral notes, black chocolate, wood), then it “develops” towards a powerful fruit (cooked fruit, orange marmalade, apricot… ‘warm’ fruit indeed) and then closes on mineral/almost smoky notes, with black pepper and ginger. Interesting. The water makes it more jovial and recognizable, with intense notes of ripe orange, caramel, sultanas. With water, the body is more creamy and oily.
F: after the first sweetness, it turns not towards bitterness but towards the mineral side… It reminds a bit of ginger roots, it seems to leave a taste of root (or damp wood?) in the mouth. Then, coffee, tobacco, orange peel.
Curious interaction between mineral notes and an almost excessive sweetness, cloying at times; luckily, it does not exceed either direction, and the result is a typical Springbank. In any case, the effect of the small barrels, really very very active, can be felt. A little bit of water is not bad, we think. Our judgement is 87/100.
Recommended soundtrack: Dropkick Murphys – Rose Tattoo.
