Raun Kupiec

9.1

2023 Whisky Advent Calendar, Day 24: First impression, someone burned an apple pie. Aromas of fruit, mild vanilla and smoke. As it sat in the glass became a bit more citrusy. Long finish of baking spices. — 4 months ago

Matt Sterr

9.0

Kinda smells like a fart / weak NYC sewer smells...the good news is the palate tastes much better than the Spirit smells. Spicy and medium-light peat. — 5 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.6

Burnt caramel, fruit cake, brine, vegetal perhaps, wood, malt, and a good dose of smoke. Thanks to GC for this amazing drop!

Note: High Spirits is an Italian independent bottler owned by Ferdinando (Nadi) Fiori, which specialises in single cask single malts bottled at cask strength. This bottling is part of the Loch and Castles of Scotland series (No 4 of 18), sporting some beautiful old prints of the subject-in-question on the front label. Incidentally, bottle no 4 of 326 (and 18 mags). Distilled 1995, bottled 2005. Ex-port cask. Springbank Distillery, Campbeltown.

From the whisky whiz KL's IG, although I didn't exactly get the same notes (much to learn here; KL tasted the exact same bottle): A very unique nose. Quite vegetal, capsicum, with a touch of smoke. Rather tight. Palate is sweet and syrupy, vegetal, earthy, and malty. Left to open in the glass for 10 to 15 min, and that's when the magical Springbank character appeared. Beautiful and elegant. Lots of port character. — 7 years ago

Darren Harper

9.4

Lovely peaty overtones! — 4 years ago

with Natalie

Matt Sterr

8.9

Mild peat. Not complex, but no bad at all. Moderate spice on the finish. This distillery seems to deliver a decent product on the lower end of the single malt scotch price spectrum. — 5 years ago

Daniel Khasidy @dankay

9.2

thank you Dave Blackmore for these beast. the name means 'dark and mysterious', the local loch, or lake where they get their water from for the distillery. ex-sherry casks and some deep balanced Palo Cortado tones with some Fino freshness. 2013 Whisky Bible Whisky of the Year. — 9 years ago

David Kline

9.1

Golden raisin, strawberries, figs, cut red apple, sweet potato, lemon-dill, oregano, smoke and an almost sweet peat smell as sherry shoulders in. Orange is the backbone, from pure squeezed, to zest, oil and pith. Toast, cedar, humidor, and nougats with roasted almond and cashew from the oak. Very smooth and sensuous mouthfeel with immediate expansion of vanilla, mocha, toffee, and finally a shimmering cinnamon with tiny sparks of heat. Secondary voices of pencil, oregano, crepe caramel, lemon peel, shaved chocolate, buffalo grass that burns into a long finish, with jalapeño-turned-peat. This is extraordinary. I know they are coopering their own barrels on site, and I think it is making a fine whisky even finer. Kudos for this magical glory. — 5 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

8.9

Nightcap. The whisky of Captain Archibald Haddock (tintin, Kuifje) who prefers this over water... — 7 years ago