New Release: Springbank 2007-2015 7yo OB? Local Barley #181

From the specs, I strongly felt the maturity and complexity. Springbank SPRINGBANK 2007-2015 7yo OB? LOCAL BARLEY #181 58.1% First Fill Bourbon Barrel The aroma is fresh, with green apple, citrus, vanilla, cider, young leaves, a solid barley note without the greenness of youth, faint honey. Upon drinking, it expands from a moist mouthfeel into a concentrated sensation with chewiness, a texture that slowly seeps into the tongue, citrus, vanilla, refined sweetness and acidity, strong barley umami, solid brininess, and a pleasant finish. [Good/Very Good] This Springbank 2007, a 7-year-old Local Barley was released on the open day of this year's Campbelltown Festival and later purchased at Kedain Shop. This time, two types of Springbank (plus one Longrow) were released simultaneously, and this is a first-fill bourbon barrel. Although it's not labeled as official or Kedain Head, I believe it is official. Since Kedain Head is under the same management, even if labeled as Kedain, it would be almost official. This is the first time in a while since I tasted the 1999 distillation from the 2011 bottling of Springbank's recent local barley. Despite being a short maturation (7 years from 2007 distillation), there was no new pot still nuance as imagined from the specs, but rather fresh fruity notes, young leaf nuances, and a well-rounded barley character. The aroma was quite diverse. Upon tasting, there was a concentrated sensation with chewiness, and an impressive texture that seeped into the tongue despite its youth. Similar to the aroma, there was a refreshing fruity note, with a good balance of refined sweetness and acidity, and a solid brininess as expected. The umami was strong, with no signs of immaturity or unpleasant lingering at the end. It felt like the house style, and while it has plenty of growth potential, it was already a delicious malt with diverse aromas. Although the maturation was very quick, perhaps because it's a local barley, or maybe specially aged in a good cask? It might be both. In the past, I thought short maturation with delicious results was a characteristic of old whiskies, but releases like this one have made me reconsider that perception. #Springbank (SPRINGBANK)