Campbeltown is in some ways a whisky ghost town, once home to over 30 distilleries yet now only three remain, like gunslingers in an old Western. Looked at another way, however, and whisky in Campbeltown is resurgent. The three distilleries remaining are successful and robust, with Springbank leading the pack as one of the most well-regarded in Scotland. Still the only distillery to house the entire process on site, from malting to bottling, they have the capacity and foresight to experiment on the side while still supporting their core range (including the Hazelburn and Longrow lines). This Springbank 12 Year Burgundy has the spirit aged in first fill Burgundy barrels, which means the wine’s influence is stronger. The Longrow Red series typically experiments with wine finishes, so seeing the Springbank spirit treated thus is a welcome treat.
Distillery: Springbank
Region: Campbeltown
Age: 12 years
Strength: 53.5%
Price: $99.99
Location: Campbeltown
Maturation: First fill Burgundy barrels
Nose: Raisin, dried fruit, sugared confection, incense, pine
Palate: Aperol, anise, raisin
Finish: Sweet, Burgundy, oak
Comments: Distilled November 2003; Bottled May 2016; Run of 10,260 Bottles
Adam – I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say the Springbank 12 Year Burgundy is the most popular scotch we’ve reviewed in a long time. You may not be able to tell from the below comments, but during the tasting it was universally praised. If I were to look at the list of smells and flavors listed above, I would want nothing to do with this spirit. But it is delightful. It is wondrous. It is a dance for the senses, remarkably well blended for a 12 year old, yet likely the maturation in Burgundy barrels helps achieve a similar affect of balance increased age does. Simply stunning.
No one flavor is in charge; it’s like drinking communism.
Meghan – You swallow it and it grows from there. It spreads all the way down and it’s very warm.
Michael – The Springbank 12 Year Burgundy is the scotch equivalent of a good braise. It is slowly and lovingly woven together to create something more than the sum of its parts. It seems like a much older scotch that it is at 12 years. Delicious.
Mary-Fred – A dried fruit reduction, a compote. It’s so rich, like very fine sauce, like water has been drawn out of it and what’s left is just pure flavor. The finish is the memory of the taste, that lingers.
It is delightful. It is wondrous. It is a dance for the senses.
Peter – It sparkles on that first taste, though there’s a tartness I really like too.
Caitlin – It’s a leather armchair and an old man.
Ben – It’s a promise from far away in the same way that dried fruit is. It’s like good sausage, there’s so many flavors at once. The Springbank 12 Year Burgundy burns so good, like a massage. No one flavor is in charge; it’s like drinking communism.
Henry – Floral, perfume and peat don’t sound like they go together but they do here. The nose is fascinating and only when the finish is fully established does the Burgundy dominate with a surprising lightness. Wow. Behind it all there is resin and evergreen, with florals. It is very unique and very wonderful and very appealing. Not at all what I would expect from a Burgundy finish. The florals especially. Where is this lush, sexy perfume coming from? The intersection of the meadow and the forest. This is what Irish Spring smells like when it goes to heaven.
