Tag Archives: #WhiskyLady

Springbank Vintage 1996 55.8% Cask No 269

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Springbank is a family owned distillery in Campbeltown. So far, I’ve had good experiences with whiskies from these folks.

  • A few years ago we sampled the delightful Springbank 18 year, paired with desert.
  • And long before I even imagined recording tasting notes, a Longrow had a most enjoyable peaty time in my whisky cabinet til the last drop was polished off!
  • During my last trip to Singapore, I enjoyed their Hazelburn 12 year and was sorely tempted to pick up the Hazelburn 8 year 1st bottling.

So when a Springbank was part of Canadian stash from my aunt and uncle? Let’s just say, I was looking forward…

Springbank Vintage 1996

Springbank Vintage 1996

Springbank Vintage 1996 55.8% Cask No 269

  • Colour – Amber
  • Nose – Rich, slightly medicinal, honeycomb, ripe plum, vanilla, toffee
  • Taste – Plums burst into chewy raisins, cereal, oily, a bit spicy, there is strength here, a toughness of character that is earthy, lots of dried fruits and a hint of cinnamon bark, meaty
  • Finish – Very different kind of bitter chocolate, burnt quality, leather… think dark chocolate covered raisins with a dusting of cinnamon, much longer than anticipated…
  • Water – Punches up the sweet quotient in the most delicious way! As expected, kicks up the spice too but then the chewy bark-like quality on the palate mellowed and gained a toffee element to cover the yummy dried fruits and berries
  • Overall – Bold and beautiful! This is no light spring dance or sunny summer romp, instead this whisky is bursting with the golden hues and blazing fire of autumn. In short – I want more!

Unfortunately I do not know what year this was bottled, however there enough going on here to warrant paying attention, regardless of age.

There also were no official tasting notes available, however I did find a few other folks with their observations about other 1996 vintages:

Can’t wait to dig in to the next one from the Canadian sampling stash…

Canadian stash

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100 whisk(e)y posts with 100 whiskies!!

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Remarkably… this is the 100th post for Whisky Lady in India!!

That’s 100 whiskies folks! Now… not all posts were devoted to a single whisky and some whiskies for review are ‘in the pipeline’ (marked by an asterisk*).

Still… I’m a doing a little happy dance of celebration for this 100th post!!

post-milestone-100-2x

  1. Sullivans Cove – French Oak Cask
  2. Glen Breton 10 year
  3. Hammer Head 23 year
  4. Kornog bottled for The Auld Alliance
  5. Amrut Single Malt
  6. Amrut Fusion
  7. Amrut Peated
  8. Paul John Brilliance Single Malt
  9. Paul John Classic Select Cask
  10. Paul John Edited Single Malt – 1st bottle, 2nd bottle
  11. Paul John Peated Select Cask
  12. Bushmills 1975 49.1%
  13. Greenore Single Grain 18 years 46%
  14. Jameson Original NAS
  15. Jameson 12 year Special Reserve
  16. Jameson Gold Reserve
  17. Jameson 18 year Special Reserve
  18. Teeling NAS 46%
  19. Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix 55%
  20. Tyrconnell 10 year Madeira Casks
  21. Asama
  22. Chita Single Grain Whisky 12 year 43%
  23. Hakushu 18 year
  24. Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu 2009 French Oak Cask 63.1%
  25. Chichibu ‘The Floor Malted’ 3 year 50.5%
  26. Houou-uhi (Phoenix) 46.5%
  27. Nikka ‘From the Barrel’
  28. Nikka ‘Yoichi’ 10 year
  29. Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Year 43%
  30. Yamazaki Sherry Cask 1998 61%
  31. Hazelburn 12 year
  32. Springbank Vintage
  33. Balblair 03 1st bottling
  34. Blair Athol 16 year
  35. Deanston Virgin Oak NAS 46.3% 
  36. GlenDronach 18 year Allardice
  37. GlenDronach 21 year Parliament
  38. Glen Garioch Founder’s Reserve
  39. Glen Garioch 21 year
  40. Glenglassaugh Torfa
  41. Glenmorangie evening with The Original 10 year
  42. Glenmorangie 18 year
  43. Glenmorangie 25 year
  44. Glenmorangie Signet
  45. Lochside 1981
  46. Oban 14 year
  47. Old Pulteney 12 year
  48. Old Pulteney 21 year
  49. Highland Park 1998
  50. Jura Superstition
  51. Ledaig 1997, bottled 2013 (Gordon & MacPhail)
  52. Ledaig 18 year
  53. Talisker 10 year
  54. Talisker Dark Storm
  55. Ardbeg Uigeadail
  56. Ardbeg Corryvreckan
  57. Bowmore Laimrig 15 year
  58. Bowmore 21 year (1988)
  59. Bruichladdich – The Organic Scottish Barley 50%
  60. Bruichladdich Octomore
  61. Bruichladdich Islay Barley
  62. Bunnahabhaim Eirigh na Greine
  63. Caol Ila 12 year
  64. Caol Ila 1997, bottled 2009 (Gordon & MacPhail)
  65. Kilchoman Coull Point
  66. Laphroaig 16 year (1987) 46% (Silver Seal)
  67. Auchentoshan 12 year
  68. Auchentoshan Three Wood
  69. Auchentoshan 18 year
  70. Auchentoshan Cooper’s Reserve 14 year
  71. Little Mill 25 year
  72. Aberlour A’bunadh
  73. Auchroisk 20 year (Duthies)
  74. BenRiach Septendecim
  75. Glen Deveron 20 year
  76. Glenfarclas 12 year
  77. Glenfarclas 21 year
  78. Glenfarclas 40 year
  79. Glenfarclas 105
  80. Kininvie 17 year
  81. Mortlach 15 year (Gordon & MacPhail)
  82. Singleton Artisan
  83. Speyburn 10 year
  84. Bailie Nicole Jarvie
  85. Compass Box Asyla 40%
  86. Compass Box Great King Street Artist’s Blend 43%
  87. Compass Box Hedonism
  88. Compass Box Spice Tree 46%
  89. Compass Box Peat Monster 46%
  90. Compass Box Juveniles 46%
  91. Monkey Shoulder
  92. Kavalan Concertmaster
  93. Corsair Triple smoke 40%, Batch 162, Bottle 153 of 450
  94. Jim Beam White Label 4 year
  95. Beam’s Choice 8 year, 1980
  96. Hudson Single Malt Whiskey 46% (2014)
  97. Westland Cask No 395 54.6%
  98. Penderyn Sherrywood
  99. Penderyn Madeira
  100. Penderyn Peated

There you have it!

I consider myself a passionate novice drammer. To have managed to accumulate 100 whiskies to write about, well… that’s really quite fabulous.

Slainthe! Here’s to many more whisky adventures ahead!!

Time to add a wee dram to sample...

Time to add a wee dram to sample…

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Top 10 whisk(e)ys… sort of…

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Anyone heard this before: “Oh, you drink whisky? Which is your favourite?”

I have a tough time. My whisky preferences are often tied to mood, company, and… let’s face it… accessibility!

Let’s also be honest… folks that drink blends are a loyal lot. They have a ready answer to the ‘favourite’ question.

Those of us tending towards single malts are rather promiscuous… always looking out for something ‘new’ to try. We’d rather end up with a disaster than miss a possible gem.

However when Whisky Girl from the Netherlands gave a challenge to share a Whisk(e)y Top 10, I had to rise to the occasion!

Whisky Lady in India's current favourites

Whisky Lady in India’s current favourites

Here goes! From my Whiskies by Country list with random reasons for their pick (by country/region order):

  1. Sullivans Cove – French Oak Cask – Only Tasmanian whisky sampled so far and makes me really wanna try more
  2. Kornog bottled for The Auld Alliance – Why I’ve begged my gal pal on a biz trip to Paris to pretty please bring me back ANYTHING from Kornog or Glann Ar Mor
  3. When in a ‘desi’ (Indian) mood – Paul John’s cask strength Peated
  4. Hakushu 18 year – No surprise this old favourite from Japan made the cut!
  5. Perhaps because I sampled it recently, but the ‘Yoichi’ 10 year has character…
  6. Springbank from Campbeltown shows promise with Hazelburn 12 year
  7. Love the chocolaty coffee yumminess of Glenmorangie’s Signet
  8. Caol Ila 1997, bottled 2009 (Gordon & MacPhail) simply notches up what I enjoy most about Caol Ila
  9. My current ‘everyday dram’ is Kilchoman Coull Point
  10. The American craft whiskey that made me go ‘Oh yes!’ Westland Cask No 395 54.6%

The most remarkable “I can stop now” single malt is Lochside 1981… Completely out of my reach, but I have to mention it… it is simply that good.

And one that is completely unfair to include – blend of two discontinued distilleries (Hanyu & Kawasaki) plus impossible to buy – Ichiro’s Malt Houou-uhi (Phoenix) 46.5%.

See how hard it is? I couldn’t even restrict myself to 10!

Come on… share your top 10 (or 12)!! You know you want to!

Slainthe!

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