Best Springbank 22 tasted H2H Nas-40 years old, 1962 onwards

[lincoln imp]

This is a head to head I have been planning for some time but due to the amount of samples I decided to do them over 3 days which meant I had to go back to some just to make sure of my scores and that they made sense?
These are supposed to be among the best springbanks bottled but all whisky opinions are subjective so there could obviously be better ones out there but the OB here by common consent good ones.
Some here are also rare ones , the 12 year 80 proof black label OB 80 proof is seldom seen but the Pure West Highland Malt I have never seen or even heard of another bottle, I think it is a late 50`s , I can confidently say it is the rarest Springbank I know about, so I am privileged to try it, furthermore it is peated, tried it before and loved it.

Some of the official bottlings here are supposed to be the finest springers ever bottled, the likes of the 12 year 100 proof Samaroli and cask 443 1966 Local Barley come to mind but also some independents like the 1969 Springbank Signatory cask 263 are supposed to be right up there with them. The serious point of this tasting is to put to the test whether or not I agree with some commentators and whisky pundits on how good some of these bottles are and the very high average scores they recieve?
It is only when you try them against each other can you truly accurately gauge just how good they are. This tasting through up some surprise but I had a gut feeling which would be the one to beat which was the 30 year dumpy OB which totally blew me away a few years ago when I first tried it.
This tasting certainly did not go to type and there were some definite suprises , some were disappointing as they recieve much acclaim but in truth there are no duffers here

Here are the contenders in age order:

Pure West Highland Malt (NAS)+/- 1960 70 proof peated(very rare)
10 year Tappo Sughero black label big S 59%
11 year 1999 Society bottling 57.9% OB
12 year black label big S 80 proof OB dark sherry (Rare)
12 year green thistle gold cap 46% OB
12 year 100 proof 57.1% sherry wood Samaroli
21 year 2012 46% OB
21 year 2018 46% OB
23 year 1970 23 year Local Barley tall bottle 46% OB
24 year 1966 sherry cask 443 Local Barley dumpy bottle 58.1% OB
25 year pear shape bottle 43% OB
25 year 2006 46% OB
29 year 1962 white label big S 46%
29 year 1974 Chieftain’s Choice cask 1778 51.2%
30 year Millennium bottle 1999 46% OB
30 year parchment label dumpy 46%
32 year 1966 bourbon cask 493 Local Barley dumpy bottle 56.8% OB
35 year 1968 Berry Bros 46%
35 year Millennium bottle 1999 46% OB
37 year 1970 Secret Treasures 43%
37 year 1968 cask 1541 Dun Bheaghan Pedro Ximenez 56.5%
40 year 1969 cask 263 Signatory Vintage 54.4%

RESULT The score next to each one are for Nose/Taste/Finish

I knew the 30 year dumpy would be difficult to beat but the Dun Bheaghan 37 year was also the best type of sherried Springbank, a beautiful whisky as is the 30 year.
The major suprise was the Siganotory 40 year which only came in 14th, still a great whisky but evry time I taste it , I seem to gradually lower the score, but again this is why trying against other whiskies is important.

Please note that if average scores were the same the one with a better palate or finish got the nod, even if the nose was a few points lower.

1st -30 year dumpy OB - 97/96/96
2nd 1968 Dun Bheaghan - 94/96/96
3rd 10 year 59% Tappo Sughero OB - 94/95/96
4th 12 year Samaroli 100 proof OB - 94/95/95
5th 1970 Local Barley tall bottle OB - 93/95/95
6th 32 year cask 493 Local Barley OB - 93/95/94
7th 1962 29 year OB - 96/93/94
8th 30 year Millenium OB - 94/94/94
9th 24 year cask 443 Local Barley OB - 94/93/94
10th 12 year black label OB - 92/94/93
11th Nas Springbank Pure West Highland - 91/93/93
12th 1999 11 year OB Society bottling - 90/94/93
13th 1974 Ian Macleod 51.2% - 90/94/92
14th 40 year 1969 cask 263 Signator - y 92/93/92
15th 35 year Millenium OB 95/92/92
16th 1967 Berry Bros 35 year - 91/91/91
17th 12 year OB green thistle gold cap - 90/91/91
18th 1970 ST 12967 88/91/92 -
19h 21 year OB 2012 - 91/91/90
20th 21 year OB 2018 - 88/92/90
21st year 2006 OB - 92/88/88
22nd year OB Pear shape - 80/87/87

top 12 tasting notes if I put the all on the thread will be far too long.[/b]

1st - 30 year dumpy 46% Parchment label

Nose 96
Just superb, nothing out of place, apple, mango, peach and a little lemon zest but truck loads of syrup and toffee also.

Palate 97
So rich, so fruity, the mango and peach notes dance on your tongue but heavier syrup notes peg that back with hints of peat.
The fruit aspect increases, as does the peat and various spices and if you leave it in your mouth long enough it is just like an alcoholic fruit cocktail.
Stunning, fruit and syrup, it is like the best desert in the world.

Finish 97
endless, remaining fruity till the end with the distant peat and peach refusing to go away.
Fruit cocktail in a glass.

2nd 1968 37 year Dun Bheaghan IM 56.5% XE cask 1541

Nose 94
Clean crisp sherry with a slight orange marmalade note at first then mild ginger cake mixed with faint mocha.
The sherry seems to grow in intensity, all on dark fruits, blackberry, blackcurrant, damson plum.

Palate 96
Jesus, that is really powerful and very peaty the sherry is of the thick heavy kind. There is some blackberry and blueberry coming out and then the peat grows in intensity mixing with the rich sherry.
Lets see what a little water does to it?
Still peaty but the sherry is even sweeter and the balance is verging on outstanding,

Finish 95
As long as the MI motorway in the UK but much sweeter to ne on 😊

Amazing freshness of sherry, I can find not even the tiniest fault with this, perfect whisky.
I need to sit down, this has completely blown me away, one of the best whiskies I have ever tasted.

3rd - 10 year 59% OB Tappo Sughero dark sherrt ON

Nose 94
Rich sherry, hints of peat, dark berries, hint of mango, raspberry.

Palate 95
Massive sherry, massive peat, massive spice, lordy this is only 10 years old?
The peat and sherry mix beautifully here, with blackberry notes coming through and a faint woodiness from the cask, this is a heavy one.
After a few minutes it gets a welcome dark syrup sweetness.
With more water
The peat you think has been tamed at first but then a wave of peat & sherry washes across your tongue followed by some lovely stewed dark fruits.
It has now got a cream angle but the peat still seems to dominate even with more water.

Finish 97
Fruity sherry and masses of peat until the end

Only 10 years old, this is a hulk of a whisky, so powerful yet so tasty.

4th 12 year 100 proof Samaroli

Nose 94
Very nice, dark orange marmalade, nectarine, faint ripe peach, very faint ginger. This seems to get a little floral with time in the glass but then a rich pudding note emerges with a little syrup.
Hints of bubble gum, mango, with a hint of aniseed but you have to look for it.

Palate 96
Big attack of peat in fact it is overpowering, even with a few drops of water?
This tastes much older than 12 years, the fruit has been stewed for a millennium that the nose promised.
Orange spice and mulled wine with a fresh peat that mixes with the orange spice and similar in some aspects to the very best old fruity Clynelish bottles.
With a few more drops of water it gets a little salty and the orange note also grows as does the crisp clean peat.
With even more water the peat is tamed and a beautiful orange & pineapple fruit note comes out
Very juicy

Finish 95
Just keep going on peat & spice

Excellent and one to experiment with water, hard to believe that something this complex is only 12 years old, a whisky on steroids.

5th - 1970 23 year cask 1766 Local BarleyTall bottle OB

Nose 93
Really zesty on Grapefruit, lemon and sherbet at first then some ripe pear.

Palate 95
Quite creamy with a real zest punch at first there is also some white pepper but it is really subtle, biscuit, more spice and it seems to grow then a little gooseberry and after that you notice the peat, balance is lovely.

Finish 95
Long, warming, remaining fruity & spicy.

No off notes, great balance and perfect drinking strength at 46%, hard to fault a whisky this good and I can`t

[b]6th - 32 year cask 493 56.8 % bourbon cask Local Barley dumpy bottle OB [/b]

Nose 93
Smells really old, on leather, book covers with some orange notes emerging, syrup cake and a few dark berry notes.
The sort of nose you do not get these days, very good, one to take your time over.

Palate 95
More peat than I was expecting and very spicy with a lovely fruit note at first. The balance is good and the massive spice note just keeps growing, you have to really concentrate on this one to get all the flavours.
With a few small drops of water the peat takes off and starts to overpower but there is no denying the quality on show here, balance and taste are top draw.

Finish94
Just keeps going, lip smacking and peppery

A quality bourbon cask springer

7th - 1962 29 year 46% OB

Nose 96
As good as if not better than the 35 year Millenium, which is saying something?
Very rich, dark and all on cocoa, mocha, coffee and chocolate wrapped up in a glorious sherry note.
Like nosing a fresh out the oven cake.

Palate 93
The liquid is thick & syrupy but slightly bitter, this is almost too rich for me and heavy going but there is no denying the quality.
Heavy rich flavours of date, fig, dark berry compote , the darkest or orange marmalade, the one that is the same colour as treacle.
Oh I nearly forgot the peat aspect which is finely integrated into all the other flavours

Finish 94
Long, spicy and rich

You must try a few drops of water with this one, better on the nose and palate, not many old springers as rich as this but the similarities with this rare 12 year WB 75805 are clearly there and some similarities with this very old locally bottled Nas Pure West Highland.

8th - 30 year Millenium 46% OB

Nose 94
Very earthy & meaty at first and smells like it has been immersed in wood for centuries, there are numerous spices in the mix, a little caramel, toffee and then sweeter caramels, butter and raisin.
Great nose

Palate 94
Sweet & spicy at first and the spice is increasing all the time and there is a bitter sweet note of burnt brown sugar.
There is sweet peat which really compliments the spice notes but then I notice a little dark honey, treacle and the faintest hint of orange and finally some honeycomb.
This seems to get sweeter and it is really punchy for 46%, good balance.

Finish 94
Very long, warming & spicy

Excellent and elegant which is why I like it, better than I was expecting , balance is top notch

9th - 1966 cask 443 Local Barley OB dumpy sherry

Nose 94
Full on nose, very expressive nose for sure, sherry, peat, dark fruits, cedar wood , blackcurrant, faint raspberry.
Redcurrant notes emerge or cranberry that sort of thing, and then a meaty note comes in.

Palate 93
Yes, this is really powerful and with some of the richest sherry you can imagine but it is also drying with some oaky bitterness in the background, not too much but you can notice it.
There is quite a big blast of crisp peat mixing with the sherry but the fruit is held back. Mixed fruit jams are the fruit but the peat dominates with some wood creeping in.
Good balance but the fruit is held back because of the peat which in my view upsets the fragile balance of this one.
Finish 94
Massive with the peat fighting with the rich sherry to the end

I found this one really difficult to score, the sherry is top class and the balance is pretty decent but the peat is just a little too dominant over the sherry so for me the balance could be better.
Hey I am nit-picking here, this is a world class distillate but in this H2H it does note make the top echelons, which has surprised me a little
[
b]
10th - 12 year black label big S 80 proof OB dark sherry screw cap[/b]

Nose 92
Very expressive, this is darker than the gold capsule 12 year I have just tasted. (green thistle)
Lots of stewed dark fruits mixed in with dark fruit cake, currants and dates.
Old leather bound books and polished teak, it is all here and like the green thistle 12 year ths also smells much older, they obviously had some quality casks in this vatting.
I also detect faint liquorice and faint menthol, this has a very good nose, I just hope the palate lives up to it

Taste 94
A big blast of dark fruit and peat, I detect very little peat with the green thistle.
This tastes much older than 12 years , the peat is mixed with masses of fizzy spice &pepper, great balance on show here.
Dark orange marmalade, dark caramel, ginger, dark treacle, this all sounds heavy going but the spice & peat lift this one.

Finish 93
This seems to gain in sweetness on the tail and then the faintest of woody bitterness creeps in but this is perfectly acceptable


11th - Nas Springbank Pure West Highland 70 proof square bottle 1958-1968?[u]

Bottle info - I have never seen another bottle of this particular Springbank. The bottle is square with a screw cap and has a picture of a few houses on the label.
The label says (in red lettering) Springbank, Pure West Highland Malt, 70 proof 26 2/3 Fluid Ounces, bottled by J.S Allan, Lochend Bar, Campbeltown.
The label says distilled by J.A Mitchell and they had it bottled for them locally by bottlers at Lochend Street.


Nose 91
All on old books and leather with dark sherry, hints of peat and stewed dark fruits and a little perfume note

Palate 93
Very rich, surprisingly peaty, spicy and nuff said.

Finish 93
long, spicy

5 years ago I suppose I was a bit overawed with such an old springbank when I tried it, but it is certainly different and really peaty, I like it, I like it a lot, a real pleasure to taste this old (young) one


[b]12th - 1999 11 year 57.9% OB Society bottling Local Barley Recharrred sherry butt[/b]

Nose 90
Completely different to the older vintage Springers I am tasting in this H2H. This is earthy, meaty & dirty, there is some dirty peat mixed in with the smell of engine oil and garage workshops but there is also a dark orange note in the background.
I like it


Palate (with a little water) 94
Very rich dark fruits, mixed with some peat and dark sherry, dark fruits very nice make no mistake The peat starts growing and is really powerful, numbing your tongue but the sherry stops it being overwhelming as the balance is so good.
Very rich toffee, sherry, black pepper and the peat just keeps growing, excellent.
Really good balance with this one

Finish 93
Really long, always grabbing your attention and getting a little sweeter on the tail

This is great and can more than hold it’s own with the older stuff in this H2H, excellent balance and great flavours, only 11 years old, what a star.
This one was in front of some well known and highly praised bottles
_________________
Pour me a glass please.