Springbank 10 PX Cask 2022 Edition - 55%
From the distillery website
Kicking off our Springbank Sherry series is this 10 year old whisky matured for seven years in Bourbon casks and three years in fresh Pedro Ximenez casks. The Springbank character married with the sweet, rich PX influence creates a perfect winter-warmer dram.
The first in their eagerly anticipated five-part Sherry Wood Series, this Springbank expression began it’s maturation in first-fill Bourbon casks for 7 years before spending it's final 3 years in fresh Pedro Ximenez Sherry Hogsheads from Bodegas José y Miguel Martin. This is a limited edition of 10,800 bottles.
Appearance: Mahogany colour, forms a thick line which forms an inverted crown before falling as thick, oily legs.
Nose: Rich and syrupy, with a strong sherry influence. Plenty of dried fruits, particularly dates, and a very mild dunnage note.
Palate: The mouthfeel is creamy and luxurious. Dark chocolate enrobed cherries, dark fruits in abundance, dried dates, raisins and figs, caramel sauce, flat cola, cinnamon and ginger provide a warm glow together with mild oaky astringency and a hint of coastal saltiness. A few drops of water brings more astringency.
Finish: The mild tannic oak astringency continues, together with date syrup and a hint of dark chocolate whilst cinnamon brings a pleasing warmth which grows towards the finale.
Summary: It’s rich, warm and indulgent, with a lovely mouthfeel and with the PX cask influence pushing this one well into sherry bomb territory there is plenty to keep the palate interested even without it being particularly complex. And therein lies the only problem with this whisky for me, it’s just not Springbank-y enough. As good as this whisky is, the Pedro Ximenez influence is so dominant it could be a PX-heavy whisky from one of a multitude of distilleries.
If you’re looking for a very good PX cask-matured whisky, this fits the bill perfectly. However, if you’re seeking a Springbank whisky which has a strong PX influence together with that signature Springbank character, you may be disappointed.
As with all the Springbank releases over the last few years, the majority of the available bottles went straight into the hands of collectors, investors and flippers. This being the first in a new series meant demand was even more frenzied than usual. As such, unless you’re very lucky, the only place you will find these is on the secondary market where prices are likely to be significantly higher.
If you would like to know more about Springbank and their whiskies, follow the link to the company website.
Transparency: This sample was part of a 5 dram sample set, purchased from The Spirits Embassy. No goods or other incentives were exchanged, offered or requested for this independent review.
