Review 279. Springbank 18 yo, 2025 release

Summer’s here and vacation is almost here. It’s one of those weird times of the year. On the one hand you’re excited and looking forward to a much welcomed break from real life, looking to unwind and be available to the family and, equally important, yourself a bit more. On the other hand, there’s all the stuff that really ought to be finished before you set that auto ‘out of office’ reply, while also being confronted with the fact that most of your co-workers, who you more or less relied on to get back to you on some pending questions/updates regarding all the stuff that really ought to be done before you bugger off for several weeks, have themselves buggered off already, creating some weird  work-related Schrödinger’s cat like space-time vacuum where all that pending stuff is both good to go and an utter shambles at the same time. And you don’t know which of the two it’ll be until you come back in for work. My go to practice to avoid as much ‘post-vacation- shitstorm’ situations is to try and resolve as many loose ends as possible, list up the remaining ones and get everyone involved in the loop. Best case scenario everything is peachy upon return. Worst case scenario there’s a ton of unresolved work waiting for you. Usually it’s somewhere in between of course. Anyway, just this short intro to paint the picture of my current state of mind.

Springbank 18 yo, 2025 release. 46% ABV, NC, UCF, 50% bourbon, 45% sherry, 5% rum casks. App. €150/£135 MSRP, but chances are you’ll be paying more.

This sample was very generously gifted by Joe, who even offered to split the bottle with me.  As I had just blown my entire budget on other whisky goodness, I had to decline the offer (I know you’re shouting ‘fool’ at your screen now and I can’t blame you. Particularly when Joe was able to pick this up at MSRP!) But being the awesome human being he is, he kindly shared 5 cl of this very much sought-after whisky with me.

Does Springbank, particularly the 18, even need an introduction? I’ve already argued, on numerous occasions, why this distillery is arguably producing ‘the whisky drinker’s whisky’.

And I’m not jumping on the whole price gauging wagon here, but… it does seem, slowly but gradually, as if even Springbank is starting to become a bit more available again. Not confusing ‘available’ with ‘cheaper’, not at this point in any case, because chances are you’re still be charged (considerably) more than what the suggested retail should be. But eventually ‘available’ will lead to ‘more affordable’ as well. If the flippers (and some stores) can’t sell ‘m for twice the RRP any longer, the adage ‘good things come to those who wait’ may well be proven true once more. Fingers crossed in any case.

The interesting thing (or rather: one of the interesting things) about their ‘technically’ core range, but always definitely limited releases like the 12 cs, the 15 and the 18, is that they mix things up when it comes to the casks involved, rather than sticking with a predetermined ‘formula’. I can only assume they do this because that way they can get the most out of their available stock, ensuring us the best possible quality for each release. And in the process, it does encourage everyone involved to embrace the concept of batch variation.

Nose

A subtle funky note with a tad of salinity (almost hinting towards licorice, but not quite) and some earthy notes to it. Above all: a rich creamy element and quite a lot of fruit notes. Tropical fruit the likes of pineapple, guava and banana but also classic sherry cask notes of plums, raisins and sultanas, intertwined with some toffee. Summarized: lush and seductive!

Palate

 Everything you got from the nose and then some! The sea spray/salinity notes are more accentuated now and there’s also a bit of a woody bitterness to this adding some depth to the earthy notes. These work very well against the different fruit notes,  arguably adding only to the palate and the structure. On the mouthfeel it’s medium full and  slightly oily.

Finish

Quite some woody echoes, warming on dried fruit and gentle spices.

Final thoughts

Beautifully balanced, rich but never overpowering whisky! What else can I say? I know some people might be on th fence a bit when it comes to Springbank 18, stating it can be a bit of a challenge, as the 18 years of maturation can take away a bit of that Campbeltown magic. But this one gets it spot on, in my opinion! It’s got depth, flavour, complexity… A top notch whisky that lives up to its name and reputation!

Am I kicking myself for letting the opportunity of a bottle split go by? Not gonna lie: a bit. But I’m super grateful Joe gifted me some of this precious, gorgeous whisky. So in conclusion: my only advice can be that  if you find this at a ‘reasonable price’ (whatever that may be for you) or someone offers a bottle split: jump on it!

And on that bombshell: time for a summer break! I should be back somewhere late August. More whisky’s coming!