Springbank 16 Ultimate Distillers Cask 450

Thanks to the Toronto Whisky Society for hosting this event, and to /u/devoz for picking out the lineup.

So I’m the one who gets to walk through each of these whiskies. So while researching them there were great websites to read up and walk through. I was able to say a bit about the distillery, and if you’re looking for information on Springbank, I welcome you to that rabbit hole. They use a longer than normal fermentation time, an idea that they have different recipes/peat levels, and even a fermentation process that makes my eyes cross.

On the other hand, this is Springbank 16 Ultimate Distillers Cask 450. So I go to look up anything on Ultimate Distillers, and they are Keyser Soze. Heck, we know more about Soze than them, because of that great documentary that was made.

What do we know? More about the whisky itself. It’s not reviewed save for one brave soul, came out in Alberta (given that 46% UD releases are Canadian ones), and is from an ex-bourbon cask. We know it’s 16 years old, probably.

None of that matters, really. I mean, it matters if it’s poison, but since everyone at the tasting is still walking around, let’s see how it tastes (the thing that actually matters).

Price: N/A

Region: Campbeltown

Aged in a Bourbon Cask

Distilled: 1991

Bottled: 2007

Total Amount of Bottles: 318

Abv:46%

Colour: 7.5Y 9/8

Nose: Violets, butter, creamy, wax

Alright. Floral. That seems to be a constant in the tasting. Not at all what I was expecting from Springbank. Lots of butter, wax, violets.

So clean. Really, clean. So Fresh and So Clean Clean Clean, if you get my meaning. But without the funk.

Taste: Creamy, hazelnut, cherry/almond, coconut/croissant

Nutty and creamy. It’s having these Frangelico/Disaronno qualities while balancing that with cooked butter and dry coconut.

Again, not like a Springbank at all. Light. Still nice.

Finish: Coal, oil, Playdoh, peach, buttery

Alright, now we’re getting dirty. There’s this oily… well, Playdoh note. It’s an earthy, flour almost thing. Very industrial. Think Nine Inch Nails.

Some peach, some buttery. Even when this is dirty, it’s pretty clean.

Conclusion: Cleanest Springbank ever. Period. Blind you wouldn’t think it was Springbank. You’d probably think it was Hazelburn.

Lots of floral, buttery, and nutty notes. Overall nice to sip on, though I was missing that raunchy side of Springbank. That rough, blue cheese note, you know? It’s really hard to separate what I wanted from what this was. This was clean, light, and nice to sip on. By itself, I’d probably serve it before a whisky tasting, not during.

So if you’re looking for an alternative to a Lowland, or to Hazelburn, then this is it. If you like nutty drams or stuff that goes before a meal with cheese while sitting on diamond chairs (I don’t really understand high society), then this is for you.

79/100

Scotch review #1018, Campbeltown review #51, Whisky Network review #1598