Springbank 2001 9 Year Rum Cask Cadenhead's

Surprisingly delicious, it evokes the flavor of older Springbank. Springbank SPRINGBANK 2001-2011 9yo Rum Cask Cadenhead's 57.1% one of 228 bottles The aroma is youthful yet excellent barley notes, strawberry core, vanilla, faint plum, the mouthfeel expands from an unexpectedly mild entry, with rich barley umami, strong briny notes, freeze-dried strawberries, vanilla, refined yet substantial sweetness and good acidity, with a long pleasant finish. [Very Good, Interesting] This is a Rum Cask matured Springbank 2001 bottled by Cadenhead in 2011. As there is no finish notation, it must be a Rum Cask maturation. Since Cadenhead is operated by J&A Mitchell, the company that owns Springbank Distillery, this is almost like an official bottling. By the way, there was also a Rum Wood finish in their official releases, though it wasn't a cask maturation. Regarding the core content, it's a short-matured whisky distilled after 2000, so I didn't have high expectations, but it slightly surprised me. While the aroma and flavor aren't particularly complex, there's almost no sense of immaturity. The fruity sweetness, acidity, and rich barley umami with strong briny notes reminiscent of older short-matured Springbank were clearly present. It smoothly transitions into a pleasant finish without any unpleasant elements. I generally have a positive impression of Rum Casks, as the way fruits and sweetness emerge is more natural compared to Port or wine casks. I think this bottle likely had effects like naturally enhancing sweetness, adding depth, and masking immaturity. Considering the specs, this outcome is unexpected. Springbank seems closer to traditional methods in various aspects like equipment and moromi alcohol content. Knowing that selecting casks could recreate older flavors is exciting.