It’s ten in the morning and I’m sipping single malts. Oh readers, the sacrifices I make for you!
The reason for my early imbibing is the arrival of five new whiskies to Ontario from the Springbank Distillery of Campbeltown on the southernmost tip of Scotland. (The whiskies are also available in Alberta and the United States.) Although the casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that they do not all hail from the same locale, since between the quintet they sport three different distillery names.
The source of this possible confusion is, ironically, the distillery’s interest in preventing a misunderstanding of their intent. You see, the full, balanced and complex character of Springbank is well-known among single malt aficionados, and so if they were to bottle, say, the Longrow whiskies under the Springbank name, consumers expecting one thing might well wind up receiving something entirely different.
If I’ve only further muddied the waters with that last paragraph, the following notes should clear things up.
Let’s begin with the Hazelburn, then. Bottled at 8 years of age, with 60% matured in bourbon wood and 40% in sherry wood, according to the distillery’s notes, the Hazelburn is entirely unpeated and thrice distilled, which on the surface makes it sound much like a classic Irish whiskey.
And sure enough, on the nose this spirit is eerily reminiscent of an Irish, with a zesty, slightly sweet aroma with fresh fruit notes like tangerine, Meyer lemon and gooseberry awakening the senses like a sunbeam peaking through a crack in the curtains. As the whisky crosses the palate, though, the Irish resemblance ebbs away as that fruitiness turns first floral, then adds spicy vanilla before finally finishing with lingering notes of peppery citrus and oak. Oddly, too, there’s a suggestion of peat smoke in this unpeated spirit, leading me to wonder if it perhaps gets a touch of “contact smokiness” from the maltings Springbank operates on site. Regardless this strikes me as an excellent aperitif whisky, and a pretty good morning dram, as well!
Moving on to the Springbank 10 Year Old, I am reminded immediately of what I have long admired of this distillery, that being its distinctly complex, full character paradoxically combined with a high degree of approachability. On the nose, the peat smoke is balanced by rich aromas of preserved lemon, fresh and baked pear and a hint of raisins, while the body starts with chocolate, vanilla and hazelnut before segueing to smoky caramel, more baked fruit and apple pie spices. Its older brother, the sherry wood-matured Springbank 15 Year Old, maintains the family resemblance but within an entirely different context, with an end-of-the-night character that combines all the best parts of the end of a Christmas feast – figs, chocolate, pudding spices, stewed fruit – in an almost ideally rounded and contemplative dram.
On to the Longrow. Styled after the famously smoky whiskies of Islay, Longrow is presented here in two declarations: Longrow CV, which stands for “Curriculum Vitae” and is blended from casks of varying ages, and Longrow 10 Year Old.
Not quite a candidate for the peat wars presently enveloping Islay distillers Bruichladdich and Ardbeg, the CV has an altogether approachable smokiness on the nose, with background 
hints of vanilla, cocoa and date, and a faintly iodine-y, smoky but surprisingly light, sweet and creamy body with a modest spiciness and lengthy finish. The 10 Year Old seems a bit less smoky – which might be owing to the sweetening effect of the sherry wood used to mature a portion of the spirit – and fuller in the body, with a complicated blend of raisin and date, fresh apricot, chocolate, baked apple and charred wood. Where the CV offers accessibility, the 10 Year Old brings you closer to the rarefied realm of the whisky connoisseur.
In brief: the zesty Hazelburn for afternoon or as a pre-dinner aperitif; the balanced Springbank 10 Year and approachable Longrow CV for dining, alongside a roast, perhaps, and with a little water on the side; the more challenging Longrow 10 Year for partnering with a nice barleywine after dinner; and the sensory caressing Springbank 15 Year before bed.
All five whiskies are being released at the LCBO through the months of August and September. Check out lcbo.com for information, prices and availability.
