Springbank 1977 10 Year Old Official Italian Cask Strength

This might be a typical example of a dry, short-aged old Springbank. Springbank SPRINGBANK 1977-1987 10 Year Old Official Bottling for Italy, 57% ABV The aroma is elegant with fresh citrus, white flowers, freeze-dried strawberries, and a strong, dry maltiness. The flavor has a deep malty character with the refined sweetness and acidity of freeze-dried strawberries, a firm brininess, tinglingly spicy but not harsh, and a dry, crisp finish that evokes a sense of refined beauty. [Very Good] This is an official Springbank 1977, 10-year-old cask strength whisky. Overall, it feels elegant with strong notes of white flowers, fresh citrus, and freeze-dried strawberries. The maltiness and umami are strongly condensed, with refined sweetness that is briny, and a dry, crisp flavor profile. This style of aroma and taste is often found in pre-1970s short-aged official bottlings (particularly the tall bottles), and I consider this a typical example. Interestingly, during the same distillation period, longer-aged bottlings or later short-aged versions (such as oval or Dumpy bottles) often feel more robust with a richer sweetness, viscosity, and jam-like qualities. The maltiness here feels more mellow. While there are obvious commonalities, changing the evaluation perspective can make them feel quite different. It's like comparing a sharp-eyed beauty to a more composed, downcast-eyed beauty—difficult to explain? Even I find it hard to put into words (laughs). It might relate to the proportion of sherry casks used in the vatting, but there are many aspects that remain unsatisfying and still far from full understanding. Personally, I prefer the 'downcast-eyed beauty' type among Springbank bottlings, but both types are distinctive and appealing. Understanding Springbank as a distillery remains quite challenging.