Springbank 15yo 2025 Release
Official Bottling 2025 | 46% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Even when it’s not the greatest Springbank , it’s still an excellent whisky
Sniping.
I’ve said it before but it bears repeating for today’s review: I’m generally quite an opportunistic whisky chaser. By which I mean, I don’t tend to actively track and hunt those whiskies that interest me.
Rather, I pick a strategic vantage point and opt for the sniper approach: go prone, lay still, keep an eye out for anything interesting that comes into my crosshairs.
I’m usually scanning the three or four very decent stores in a 30km radius from where I live plus a selection of go-to stores as well as a few auction sites. It’s a fortunate position and, when something I think might be nice appears, I pull the trigger. I know it’s a rather silly analogy, but it sums up nicely how I go about my business in my whisky journey.
The underlying theory being that actively tracking down something can be time consuming, not to mention expensive, as there have always been - and very likely always will be - whiskies out there that activate my inner four year old; Gimme now! Gimme now! I want!
So, in order to keep whatever mental sanity and stability is left - and to prevent me from going all but bankrupt - the ‘ambush approach’, I find, is what is working best for me these days. Today's whisky is a perfect example of that theory put into practice.
I think it must have been at least six or seven years since I bought a bottle of Springbank 15 year old – it was well before the COVID pandemic. And the reason for this seven year absence is quite simple: it became near impossible to find one. And if one did pop up, you could bet on it that it would cost me far more than I was willing to pay.
We all know that’s not down to Springbank/J&A Mitchell, but much rather due to an overheated market where relative scarcity was downright abused. Up to a point where the hugely inflated prices on secondary eventually - but inevitably - caused a trickle-down effect on actual retail prices. Not always and not everywhere, luckily, but it happened more than we’d like to see.
We’re all to blame, a little, don’t you think? If you have a look at the numbers behind the Dramface Top 40 Distilleries list, we’re not hyping something up. We’re recognising achievements. Springbank have worked hard through thick and thin to be chased as enthusiastically as they are. The success, inevitably, brings its challenges too. By the way - the Dramface Top 40 will be updated imminently, if you’ve not updated your votes recently - get in there and freshen your choices, or confirm you’re happy with what you’ve previously put your support behind. It will be interesting to see if anything can get close to J&A Mitchell’s rise to the top.
Anyway, in recent months we’re starting to see a bit of a general cooling down. Roy of Aqvavitae tackled this very topic during a recent vPub, and I feel today’s review is very much in line with what he discussed. There are similar themes earlier this week with Ramsay’s good fortune on one of the UK’s biggest online outlets too, so maybe we can feel that many whiskies - even Springbanks - are returning to the enthusiastic sipper once more.
On a side note: just because the secondary market is showing signs of cooling down, this doesn’t mean whisky will become significantly cheaper. On the contrary, there are a lot of other factors in play we need to be mindful of: good quality casks are still a much sought after commodity - and therefore expensive - while other resources are placing a cost strain; like grain and dry goods such as glass, not to mention energy prices.
While some of these examples may not be as high as during the pandemic, producers still face considerably higher costs than just a few years ago. Finally, lest we forget, just as us Europeans get accustomed to the post-Brexit world, we get hit by a tariff war.
All of this on top of already high taxes on alcohol aren’t doing luxury products like whisky any favours.
Review
Springbank 15yo, Official bottling, 2025 release, bottle date 07/02/2025, code 25/26, ex-sherry cask, all natural - obvs, 46% ABV
£83 equivalent paid, while it’s still available - it’s mostly scalpers charging 50%+ more on price. Avoid.
There’s a saying in Dutch which translates to ‘Just the one swallow doesn’t make it Springtime’, which basically means you can’t draw big conclusions based on a single example. I’m well aware I got lucky – very lucky, bagging this bottle at what is still more or less considered the MSRP.
£83 is still a hefty bit of money for a 15 year old bottle of whisky, let there be no mistake about that, but at least it’s a fair and reasonable price, given that it’s Springbank and everything they stand for and also considering that there isn’t too much of the stuff about. So when this one popped up at one of those go-to stores, I really didn’t think twice.
Target locked, hold breath, pull trigger, claim spoils.
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Even when it’s not the greatest Springbank , it’s still an excellent whisky
Nose
Very fruity. And I do mean very! This is dense, syrupy, marmalade-like goodness with bags and bags of berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrant…). In fact, those who had last years’ expression of Kilkerran 8: this is in the same ballpark, but because it has been matured almost twice as long, it brings extra layers of nuttiness, specifically hazelnut, with wood and spice notes. Those make for an excellent ‘counterweight’ to all that fruit galore, as both sides get along rather splendidly with each other rather than fighting for attention.
Palate
Big, bold arrival, slightly ‘hot’ even. The fruit is definitely still there, but more subdued and quiet and above all, much ‘drier’. It’s indeed the wood and the spice notes which claim centre stage here with notes of clove, pepper and possibly a whiff of ginger and cinnamon too. There’s a soft woody-bitter touch to it as well, with dense, dry treacle and toffee. And while I’m not really finding that signature Campbeltown funk note, just before the woody-spicy finish, a pleasant salinity pops up its head.
The Dregs
I think I understand how and why some might go for this with the sole intent of immediately cashing in on it by putting it on auction. I don’t condone it, not at all. But I get why it’s got to be tempting to those who only look at whisky as a way of making money; the allure and promise of doubling down on your investment with almost instant gratification must be strong. No doubt, even with things ‘cooling’ - and as a Springbank - this would still easily fetch 50% or even higher margins on secondary. From that point of view, it’s almost too good to pass up on. All the more reason for me to snatch it right from under their eyes. Open it, pour it, drink it, enjoy it. And you know what, knowing this one’s opened, enjoyed and shared rather than ending up on auction, possibly repeatedly at that, only adds to my satisfaction.
The actually interesting bit about this whisky is how all the elements of the nose return on the palate, but in
inverse proportion. All the fruit that dominated the nose seemed quite shy and dry on the palate while those mild woody spice notes from the nose are making a bit of a show at presenting themselves on the tongue. It really makes for a very interesting development.
That said, while this really is an excellent dram (add some water which really brings the nuances and flavours forward), I can’t completely shake off the feeling that the casks are doing a lot of the talking here. It’s by no means a sherry bomb despite the fact that this is quite a bold whisky. The way it presents itself is still well-layered and nuanced, giving me plenty to discover and enjoy. While there are still some signature Springbank notes to be found--mainly with the salinity and that slightly viscous and layered texture--they’re definitely not playing first fiddle here.
It’s a complex pour and also a divisive whisky. Those of you who have been around long enough might recall this was the bottle that almost broke Dramface. Fourteen different reviews of the same expression in a single day. Our editors took a respite vacation after that one. But it showcased so perfectly how curious a bottle it was; featuring scores ranging from 8/10 all the way down to 4/10.
In any case, I’m personally very happy to have sniped it, allowing me to reacquaint myself with a whisky I haven’t had in years, even if it may not be ‘quintessential’ Springbank.
A very good yet perhaps not brilliant Springbank will still, almost always, amount to an excellent whisky.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA
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