Springbank 24 Year Old Westie Sponge No.3

Springbank 24 Year Old Westie Sponge No.3 54% 70cl

A thrillingly exciting Whisky Sponge release here: a magnificently aged 24-year-old Springbank! Distilled back in 1999 and matured in Campbeltown in a first-fill sherry butt, it’s been bottled at natural cask strength to capture the distillery’s pungent, leathery, tarry character in all its glory. Despite the power it remains supremely balanced and complex, with the peat smoke vigour held in check by the nutty, elegant sherry influence. A stellar addition to the Sponge’s Westie range, which champions the whiskies of the Highlands and Islands. 

Tasting notes from The Whisky Sponge: 

Nose: some kind of tarred leather, smoked walnuts, aged pipe tobacco and dried dark fruits. Then the freshness and salinity hits, loads of classical Springbank character balanced by nutty, drying and earthy old sherry. In time there’s even more familiar waxiness and soft, peppery peat smoke in the background. Stunning whisky.

Palate: immediately an amazing texture and mouthfeel – very waxy, full of natural tar extracts, mineral oil, sandalwood, cured meats, candied citrus peels and walnut wine. Getting even more coastal and waxy with time, adding in some smoked olive oil, salted almonds and peat that seems to subdivide into eucalyptus and herbal cough syrup.

Finish: very long, getting medicinal and umami at the same time now, on squid ink, ointments, natural tar liqueur, resinous fir wood and camphor. A gloriously fresh and coastal aftertaste.