New Release: Springbank 21 Year Old Official UK Market Release 49.6%

Springbank SPRINGBANK 21yo OB for UK 49.6% one of 702 bottles, Oloroso Sherry Butt The aroma features apricot tea, vanilla cream, orange oil, faintly overripe strawberry, honey, pleasant barley notes, nuts, richness, a subtle briny touch, and a mild peatiness. On the palate, it offers apricot jam, orange marmalade, a touch of oil, a textured mouthfeel with a strong sweet richness, gentle mineral saltiness, barley umami, pleasant oak tannins, and a soft peat finish. The balanced, long-lasting aftertaste is very good. This is the official Springbank 21 Year Old bottling. While it has been released annually with this gold-pink label, this year's release appears to be single cask versions tailored for multiple markets. In addition to the UK version, there are also versions planned for Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Japan. There's even rumor of releases for the Netherlands and the United States. Despite being a single cask, 702 bottles for a 21-year-old seems slightly excessive, suggesting there may have been some cask topping. Regarding the core content, freshly opened bottles had a slight vegetal note reminiscent of pickled mustard greens, but this was almost entirely gone by the second tasting. While it's a sherry cask, its influence is not dominant but rather softly integrated throughout. From the aroma, I sensed a slightly concentrated fruity character with nutty creaminess and pleasant barley notes. Surprisingly, the briny and peaty characteristics typical of recent Springbank releases were not as strong as expected. On the palate, it offers a diverse and concentrated profile with sweet richness, saltiness, barley umami, and balancing tannins and peat. As a new release single cask at cask strength, it's impressively well-crafted. While the number of bottles may have influenced its character, I did sense nuances from multiple casks. However, this translates into a positive diversity and quality in the final product, resulting in an enjoyable drinking experience. I'm looking forward to trying the versions for other markets, including Japan.