Springbank 1993-2015 21yo Official Campbeltown Malts Festival 2015 Springbank Distillery Open Day 46%

A very interesting Springbank. Springbank SPRINGBANK 1993-2015 21yo OB for Springbank Distillery Open Day Part of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2015 46% ?? One of 264 bottles, Refill Claret Cask The aroma expands strongly with heated apple or orange, a moderate grainy note, faint cinnamon, and peat with a tarry undertone from the depth. On the palate, it starts smoothly then becomes spicy, with apple/orange notes, freeze-dried stem strawberries, a gentle juicy sweetness with mild acidity, and briny peaty finish. 【Good/Very Good, Interesting】 This Springbank 1993, 21-year-old whisky was released on May 21st during the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2015 for Springbank Distillery's Open Day. Inspired by the excellent Longrow released for the same event in 2016, friends helped find this previous year's bottling. Due to the highly specialized Claret Cask usage, it initially had a slightly risky aroma but ultimately delivered surprising and pleasant fragrance. The aroma was strongly fruity, with an unusual sensation of heated apple, and the assertive peat often found in this region. Despite being diluted, it had a smooth mouthfeel with broad flavor development, echoing the apple-like nuances in the aroma. It also featured the characteristic freeze-dried stem strawberry notes common in Springbank's refill bourbon cask expressions. The juice-like sweetness and acidity were pleasant, with a briny and peaty finish that faded comfortably. Unlike typical wine cask finishes which often leave flat, sticky sweetness or lingering heaviness, this bottling lacked such characteristics. In fact, it's difficult to identify any wine cask aging nuances. The red apple-like fruity sensation is rarely found in Springbank, and similar expressions from Calvados casks don't exhibit this either. While uncertain if the unique fruity character originated from the cask type, it certainly sparked curiosity about what kind of barrel was used. This bottling remained straightforwardly delicious while continuously intriguing, prompting interest in other casks with the same specifications or cask strength versions.