Springbank 18 Year Old (2020 Release) – Tasting Review

Buy Springbank 18 Year Old (2020)
Springbank Distillery | Campbeltown Region | Scotch Whisky

What is it?

The Springbank 18 is the crown jewel of the range — at least in terms of age-stated core releases. This 2020 edition brings together a thoughtful mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, matured low and slow in Campbeltown's sea-soaked warehouses.

Like all Springbank bottlings:

Natural colour
Non-chill filtered
46% ABV
Traditional production, zero automation

This dram is all about maturity. It’s more refined, more introspective — less about brute coastal power, and more about nuance and depth.

First Impressions?

It smells like the inside of an old leather-bound whisky journal. Dusty. Oak-rich. Herbal. Dried figs. And then, from the corner of your nose, a waft of salt and coal smoke.

Where the 10 shouted and the 15 debated, the 18 just knows. It doesn’t need to convince you — it already won.

Quick Flavour Snapshot:

Taste Area	Notes
Nose	Antique oak, dried apricots, leather, menthol, honey-glazed ham
Palate	Dark chocolate, sea salt, gingerbread, plum skin, cigar box
Mouthfeel	Oily, dry on the finish, layered
Finish	Long: bitter cacao, espresso dust, seawater, drying herbs

How Does It Taste?

Everything here feels slow-aged. The fruit is darker. The spice is drier. There's a burnt sugar edge with waves of salted leather and roasted nuts. It's like someone took the Springbank 10 and 15 and taught them philosophy.

Hints of tobacco leaf, liquorice root, and old dunnage warehouse — all drifting over a quiet peaty bed.

Score: 9.0/10

This is elegant, maritime, and just the right amount of eccentric. The Springbank funk is still present, but it's had time to mellow and evolve. No longer raw or rustic — this is Campbeltown dressed for dinner.

Worth It?

Yes — if you're looking for complexity. This isn't a casual pour; it asks you to sit with it. To let it evolve. At around £500, it’s not an everyday bottle — but for Springbank lovers, it’s essential.

If you’ve tried it already, I’d love to know what you thought. Slide into the comments, or hit me up over on X (@lochsofwhisky).