Before Christmas I bought a bottle of Springbank 10 years for hubby when we were in London for the day. We first saw it in a posh department store called Selfridges that day. Springbank whisky are not the easiest to come by, and this was going for £85. That is very expensive for a 10 year old whisky, and even hubs knew better than not to give it a thought.
Then he remembered there's a little whisky shop called Cadenhead's about 10 minutes walk away. He went there for a whisky tasting session many years ago, and suggested we go for a little 'stroll'. Yeah sure, a stroll, I thought.
When we got there, Cadenhead's was a true little gem. Physically, it was a small shop, this was central London after all. It was packed with many independent bottles, mainly whisky, but also rum and gin, and would be heaven for drink lovers. Sadly with the place being pretty compact, it was very difficult to take any good photos.
Hubs eyes lit up when he saw a bottle of Springbank 10 years on the shelf. The shop owner said they only get 5 or 6 bottles of Springbank in every month. They're always random bottles but will always sellout as they're so popular. Dare we ask the price? £52, we were told. That's an absolute bargain compared to £85 10 minutes walk away. Hubby bought a bottle of Springbank 15 two years ago, also from Cadenhead's when we were visiting Edinburgh 2 years ago. He's nearly finished that, and was keen to replenish his collection.
The Springbank 10 years made its debut at a recent dinner family gathering, along with a few other bottles of course.
Hubby let me nose it when he poured his first dram. Unusually for me, I immediately smelled a pleasant hint of orange. Normally I find all whisky quite stinky.
Compared to the Springbank 15 which hubs has enjoyed very much, the 10 yo bottle is more vibrant and interesting. He described it as a sophisticated lady vs a energetic girl. It has a lovely citrus nose, and complex layer on the palate. He's been a fan of Springbank for quite a long time now, and felt this bottle offered very good value for money.
I forgot to mention, both his drinking buddies, ie my two brothers in laws enjoyed it as well. Thumbs up all-round.