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    Home » Campbeltown Scotch

    Published Jul 21, 2017 · Updated Feb 16, 2023 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Springbank Single Cask Oak Exploration

    Jump to Reviews

    Exploring the effects that oak casks have on aging scotch and exploring how well food can pair with scotch both are worthy activities. The Springbank Single Cask Oak Exploration provides the perfect setting on both counts.

    Bottle of Springbank Single Cast on a yellow tablecloth next to 3 molasses cookies on a black napkin. this …

    Food and drink…it kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Or rather, it rolls back across your tongue and down your gullet, but that’s not the point.

    It’s nice to sip on something, but it’s even nicer to have something to chew on as well, and especially with scotch, something that completes the picture of the dram by enhancing or contrasting a certain flavor characteristic.

    Today for show and tell I’m going to share with the class the tasting notes of a Springbank Single Cask Oak Exploration Seminar that I not only attended, but created a snack for each pour.

    Chew on that!

    Pairing food & spirits

    Coming up with what food to pair with what whisky takes a bit of creativity. My knowledge of how the dram sits on my palate informs me on what flavor I want to highlight.

    Here is the rub…usually when trying to figure out what to highlight for a particular expression, I get to sample the product and see for myself what flavors shine or peek out.

    a small scone
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    For this tasting lineup, I wasn’t able to have this advanced taste, so I was flying blind. Well, not quite blind, as all the expressions had a particular cask finish…that I could work with.

    Exploring oak cast finishes

    Here’s how Holly Seidewand, Gordon’s whisky specialist, introduced the pour list: "Enjoy the beauty of the Springbank spirit, in all of its layers and qualities, and see how it’s showcased with each style of oak cask. All are limited edition, single cask releases."

    So the challenge then was to draw on my experience with my palate to identify a flavor profile for a particular type of cask finish and apply those impressions to what food would enhance or contrast said profile.

    Challenge accepted!

    [cue some appropriate ninja-style music here, perhaps “Eye of the Tiger”?]

    So without further ado (Good…we’re about done with all your ado!), here are the tasting notes for each pour along with a description of what food I paired with it (in italics).

    Plate of snacks with samples poured in glasses & price list on a table.
    Ready to take notes with our samples and snacks

    Springbank Single Cask Oak Exploration Seminar

    At Gordon’s Main St, presented by Holly Seidenwand, June 29, 2017

    Springbank Single Cask 19yr Refill Bourbon

    58.6% ABV
    300 bottles released
    Spice cake…notes of ginger, cardamom, and cloves give this spice cake a bright taste
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: grass & honey
    • Taste: licorice initially, oily, bolder, chewy
    • Finish: pepper comes up and stays on the back of the tongue
    • Comments: the high spice stays and stays; against the cake the spice is highlighted with sugar

    Springbank Single Cask 19yr Refill Sherry

    52.8% ABV
    204 bottles released
    Yogurt covered raisins...plump raisins dipped in sweet yogurt enhance the dried fruit tones of this sherry-finished scotch
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: just get the cooked fruit
    • Taste: cream starts, caramel, dances around the sherry, has a body but not heavy
    • Finish: spice and butter lingers, not long
    • Comments: really good with the raisins, quite pleasant...brings out the sweetness

    Springbank Single Cask 19yr Fresh Port

    52.4% ABV
    252 bottles released
    Banana slices topped with milk chocolate lend the flavor of the tropics to this port finished dram
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: bananas, sweet burnt sugar
    • Taste: slow start of cream, cooked fruit comes on strong, thick but fun
    • Finish: that fruit competes with the pepper in a pleasant way
    • Comments: I really like this one...excellent!

    Springbank Single Cask 19yr Fresh Rum

    55.7% ABV
    264 bottles released
    Molasses cookies...the deep flavors of brown sugar, molasses, and warm spices are combined in this cookie, then dusted with powdered sugar for a rich treat
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose:  butter and cooked fruit
    • Taste: sweetness starts but grass sneaks in, light in body
    • Finish: a bit of grass & tropical fruit
    • Comments: really works with the molasses cookie, 2nd favorite

    Springbank Single Cask 19yr Re-charred Sherry

    55.6% ABV
    390 bottles released
    Shortbread doesn’t have to be sweet! Here Parmesan cheese gives a salty tang to traditional shortbread for a savory take on an old favorite
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: vanilla, bright, fruity
    • Taste: smoky banana, char comes through, almost get some quick menthol
    • Finish: a lasting pleasant smoke
    • Comments: while it's cask strength, it's not strong, nice with the shortbread

    Springbank Single Cask 11yr Local Barley

    53.1% ABV
    A limited release that came to the state 3 weeks ago (we decided not to pair this one) 
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: bright, sweet fruit - peaches, apricots
    • Taste: smoke surprises, not sweet as the nose, some astringency, the fruit enters at the back end, medium body
    • Finish: smoke lingers long
    • Comments: nose doesn't match so it makes for an interesting taste, I would drink this in the spring or summer - tastes like sunshine and campfires
    Springbank Single Malt Oak Exploration lineup bottles on a table.
    Our pours for the event (although by the time I got to them, the bottles were almost empty!)

    Final thoughts

    The attendees gave me kudos for the snack match-ups. I had that little thrill of victory (“the eye of the Ti-i-i-i-gerrrrr”) knowing that I had chosen…wisely.

    Ok, now the Indiana Jones theme is running through my head.

    This event was only the second time I had fully paired a line up (the first I catered but wasn’t able to attend), and I don’t want to stop now!

    Rows of snacks on white plates on a counter.
    Setting up the snack plates

    Further to the point, now when I taste something new, I not only try to identify its tasting notes but a nice pairing as well.

    It's a fun challenge!

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Tasting Notes

    Scotland's whisky regions have such a rich and diverse array of flavor profiles and distinct characteristics from which to choose. Here's where you can find a scotch I've reviewed from Campbeltown. Slainté!

    • Campbeltown Scotch

    More Campbeltown Scotch Tasting Notes

    • Douglas Laing Remarkable Regional Malt sample mat.
      Douglas Liang's Remarkable Regional Malts Scotch
    • Collage of Dalwhinnie, Slane, Basil Haydens, and WhistlePig bottles.
      Random whisky reviews from individual notes

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    1. Dianne Sanders says

      July 21, 2017 at 7:25 am

      Love your latest blog as usual, full of great info and humour

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

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