Springbank 25 Year Old Frank McHardy 40 Years in Distilling Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

There was more than one Springbank bottling dedicated to Frank McHardy, and the labels are almost identical. You can differentiate them from the outturn. This one consisted of 610 bottles at 46% Alc./Vol. Signed by the man himself on the rear label, Frank was born in St, Andrews and started his career in the whisky industry with Invergordon, then Tamnavulin, then Bruichladdich and Bushmills. He returned to Springbank in 1996. This now very hard to find bottling celebrates his 40 years of distilling.

Other reviews... Colour: deep gold. Nose: Rather syrupy with ripe melon and salted almond notes. Some golden syrup, caramelised brown sugar, lanolin, bandages, ointment and a profile that generally moves more towards soft coastal characteristics and medicine. In time a leathery and more mushroomy side emerges; notes of mineral oil, butter biscuit, herbal flatbread and olive oil. I like it but there’s a sort of ‘opaqueness’ about it - which is something I’ve found in other 74 Springbanks. Mouth: lots of cooked grains in olive oil, some peppered mackerel, white flowers, beach pebbles, soot, light ointment and a slight vegetal side that suggest artichokes and white asparagus. In time there’s these slightly more acidic notes and hints of sack cloth, aspirin and lime juice. Finish: Long and on burnt seaweed, black olives, medicine, a little dry oatmeal and salted butter. Comments: This has been a little bit of a divisive bottling over the years and I can see why. In parts it is quite extreme but at the same time the ‘Springbankness’ of it is often rather elusive. Still, I think it’s good whisky, just a tad unlikely.
89 points - Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com