Springbank 1974-2003 28yo Official #1157 46%

This is a typical plain-style Springbank with this specification. Springbank SPRINGBANK 1974-2003 28yo OB #1157 46% one of 630 bottles The aroma is lavish and strong, with under-ripe freeze-dried strawberries, floral notes, old white wine, vanilla cream, dry barley sensation, and faint minerals. It has a texture that seeps into the tongue, with some chewiness, freeze-dried strawberries, grapefruit, dry barley notes, refined sweetness and acidity, a gradual brininess, and a gentle oaky finish with a pleasant aftertaste. [Very Good] This is an official single cask Springbank 1974 bottled in 2003, aged for 28 years. This is a typical Springbank from this era with strong cask influence, likely from a relatively inexpensive barrel. Given the absence of major corporations backing it and not being an especially wealthy distillery, it's unlikely they produced many single casks with this specification. It has the fragrant opening often described as 'malt perfume,' with characteristic notes of under-ripe freeze-dried strawberries in both aroma and flavor, as well as distinctive dry barley sensations. There's a savory umami that seeps into the tongue, refined sweetness and acidity, and a strong brininess throughout, making it a pleasure to drink. This bottle closely resembles the Longrow bottled for the Springbank Open Day at the Campbelltown Malt Festival 2016, which sparked much discussion among our group. In fact, when I drank Longrow, I thought it resembled this specification of 70s Springbank or Longrow, and this bottle confirmed that impression. Indeed, I believe Springbank is the distillery most likely to showcase older flavors. Although the barley differs, it produces 100% floor-malted whisky using old, inefficient equipment, which gives it a unique character. While there's considerable variation in peat levels and other factors, I'm excited to see more bottles that follow this direction of preserving traditional characteristics. #Longrow (LONGROW)