Springbank 5 Year Old 100 Proof Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) - 2025 Release

"I adore this distillate-dominated sort of profile... top notch, uber-charismatic young malt whisky in the very best sense." - whiskyfun.com

It's speculated that this 2025 addition to the range is a response to the increasing scarcity of Springbank's core products, alleviating demand while keeping the brand 'out there'. Intended as an ongoing quarterly release, '100 Proof' pays homage to several historic distillery bottlings, such as those from the 2000s. Released at 57.1% (British 100 Proof) and matured in ex-bourbon casks, its youth and strength should offer a compelling sensory insight as to what Springbank's one-of-a-kind distillate is all about: an eclectic combination of peat and iodine freshness, cut hay, barnyard, creamy vanilla and tropical fruits. In short, a powerful whisky with a classic coastal Campbeltown personality that will make a curious contrast to the benchmark 10 year old. The first batch sold out instantly in Europe. Be quick! Non chill filtered.

Other reviews... Disarming. Clean and oily with vanilla and cream soda. A salty and sweet arrival brings a hint of fizz from lemons and pale-yellow fruits; Japanese pears and unripe honeydew melon. There’s a farmyard mulch, like a damp barn or warm hay mulch. Soft peppermint, white pepper too, with distant liquorice... After a glass or two, I reached for a Springbank 10 year old that’s been open a while and, in the glaring light of direct comparison, the youth of the new release was immediately obvious. But here’s the funny thing; after I’d drained both glasses, the one I reached for a second pour of was the 5yo. The purity of spirit drew me in. The silky texture and the heft of it, the simple focus alongside the odd pleasure of licking it off my teeth, were what the mood called for. - dramface.com

"The profile is quite similar to the Springbank 10 yo, but it is more vigorous, the peat is stronger, and the fruits are more present." - whiskybase.com

"Quintessential Springbank at its youth - not uncommon in some sub-10yo bourbon cage bottle. Campbeltown in a glass. At RRP this is quite decent, I it also strikes a better balance between spirit and cask than Longrow 100 proof. Worth noting that SB new make does require time to tame the funk, and 5 years feels like a bare minimum." - whiskybase.com

...Composed of 100% bourbon casks, although not too sure if everything was first fill. Colour: pale straw. Nose: an abundance of fresh breads and citrus notes. Yeasty sourdough starter, wool, fresh linens and white flowers. Then lemon barley water and impressions of bay leaf, citrus curds, heathery floral notes and some firmer mineral and stone qualities that nod towards waxiness. The very epitome of excellent young malt whisky. With water: lighter and almost feathery, more focussed around cereals, breads, pressed flowers, wool, ink and mineral oil. Mouth: fantastic! Pure Springbank distillate character, very waxy and much oily and more emphatic than the nose suggested, going here much more decisively towards lemon waxy notes, chalk, clay, sheep wool, delicate medicinal tones and wild coastal flowers. There's also a slightly sharp, white stone fruitiness and fermentary side that makes me think of old Glen Grant 5yo 100 proof bottlings. With water: gets bone dry, even salty and superbly coastal now, lemon juice on sheep wool, watercress, white pepper and a trace of brittle peat smoke. Finish: good length, warming and peppery, with impressions of warm draff, old school ales, chalky and still those persistently bright lemony notes. Comments: It's true that I adore this distillate-dominated sort of profile, but even with that caveat, I think this is top notch, uber-charismatic young malt whisky in the very best sense. Swings a wrecking ball through most of these frankly embarrassing NAS wine finished things that clutter up whisky these days. That being said, it also demonstrates that in order to be able to release young, unvarnished, high strength bottlings such as this, you need the sort of distillate that can stand on its own.  88 points - whiskyfun.com