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Springbank 1999 16 Year Old Local Barley


jvd99
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Springbank is in the process of reviving its legendary Local Barley offerings.  They are in the process of releasing a 1999 vintage 16 year old Local Barley that consists of 9000 bottles.  Springbank will be doing a five year series that features different barleys from local farmers.  The current offering appears on some of the usual Euro merchant websites, but I don't see any info about availability in the USA.  I'm really excited about this revival and hope it can live up to the bottles distilled in the 1960's.  Anyone have any info about domestic availability?

Springbank 1999 / 16 Year Old / Local Barley

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News to me. Looks intriguing, especially at cask strength, should it come to the US. Looks like price point is likely north of $150 though.

Edited by tanstaafl2
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By the way it appears the Whisky Exchange has a few bottles from the 60's release for a mere $2000+ per bottle!

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This blog suggest it may come to the US eventually and be more like $135. I guess that is the VAT difference affecting the price. A bit more tolerable considering Springbank is generally pretty pricey anyway.

Edited by tanstaafl2
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I'll go with the new version at a more tolerable price point.  Those Local Barleys from the 1960's have been so sought after for so long, there's got to be some chance of fakery, even if its on WE.  I'd never risk that much cash on unknown provenance.  I did pick up a an old paper label Sringbank 15 today though.  

I've also put feelers out to a couple of reliable shops in the area about US availability - I'll report any news.

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I missed the 1999 16 year local barley on Master of Malt a few weeks back... this is my #1 target for upcoming releases. Sounds absolutely fantastic.

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9000 bottles sold out in 4 minutes. I went to the London Cadenhead's shop the day after release thinking I'd rock up and buy a few.

They laughed.

There might be a few held aside in distribution channels across to the US. If anyone can get one for me Stateside, I'm interested. But hope runs low.

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On 2/18/2016, 2:51:08, The Black Tot said:

9000 bottles sold out in 4 minutes. I went to the London Cadenhead's shop the day after release thinking I'd rock up and buy a few.

They laughed.

There might be a few held aside in distribution channels across to the US. If anyone can get one for me Stateside, I'm interested. But hope runs low.

9000 is the total number of bottles, a small portion of which "sold out in 4 minutes".

More bottles will show up in other markets over the coming months (including Canada ... more specifically, Alberta)

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I'm glad to hear that Portwood. As we all know, we don't always get the right story from the shop floor.

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I've been told that this will be available in the US in March/April and that there is enough to go around (assuming you live in a market that gets this sort of thing).

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Been doing some more digging online, and several blogs state that the Local Barley releases will be part of the core range starting this year.  Even with runs of @ 9000 bottles, there should be enough to go around, especially if it gets the usual Springbank markup and rolls in close to $200 for the 16 year old.  I don't think it will fly off the shelves in the US at that price point.  It's bordering on too spendy even for people that throw their price to value standards out the window far too often (me of course :P

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12 minutes ago, jvd99 said:

I don't think it will fly off the shelves in the US at that price point.  It's bordering on too spendy even for people that throw their price to value standards out the window far too often (me of course :P

Right there with ya. I will be ignoring value propositions for this release/these releases because this stuff sounds stupidly good.

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I'm definitely a buyer at $150 or so. After a few missteps with Springbank early in my malt drinking career, I've quickly become enamored with what they are capable of in the last few years.

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If this is at all reasonable! I'm down for one bottle. Notice I haven't defined "reasonable" here until I see a bottle on sale!

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I am in, and I think that at 9,000 bottles, that most could find one if not multiples in large cities.  I have no problems finding any of the recent releases--Sherrywood, Springbank Green 12, and 13--which the 13 is fantastic IMHO.

This release is really exciting, and I'll be in for several, if I can find it.  Springbank 13 just came out here, and was able to pick a few bottles up for $99/ea.  It reminds me a lot of the 50.3% 12 year old Cask Strength.  Sweet and spicy sherry notes coming out.

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This bottle is "Local Barley".  Are there different types of barley used in Scotch production ?  And, are there significant flavor variations with each ?  What  is significant to barley local to the Springbank Distillery ? 

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9 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

This bottle is "Local Barley".  Are there different types of barley used in Scotch production ?  And, are there significant flavor variations with each ?  What  is significant to barley local to the Springbank Distillery ? 

There are many different varieties of barley, just as you have different types of hops for beer or grapes for wine, although this plays a relatively subtle part in determining the final taste of a whisky. Bruichladdich/Octomore have also recently experimented with this concept recently. I think it's an effort to highlight some terroir in the malting process. Perhaps not as ambitious as the ridiculous BT Single Oak Project, but I imagine once some more of these releases come out there will be lots of side by side comparisons.

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2 hours ago, Trey Manthey said:

There are many different varieties of barley, just as you have different types of hops for beer or grapes for wine, although this plays a relatively subtle part in determining the final taste of a whisky. Bruichladdich/Octomore have also recently experimented with this concept recently. I think it's an effort to highlight some terroir in the malting process. Perhaps not as ambitious as the ridiculous BT Single Oak Project, but I imagine once some more of these releases come out there will be lots of side by side comparisons.

Barley from the main part of Scotland may be a fairly long way from the coast even though it is on an island too or may be comprised of barley from many farms across the country or even from other places. Springbank hangs out on the end of the long narrow Kintyre peninsula and is practically a tiny island itself. Grey, brooding, dank. You gotta love it! So coastal influence on the local barley in addition to the "terroir", whatever that may do to the barley, could bring something to the whisky.

Besides, it's Springbank and most of those are pretty good, whatever they are made from! :D

 

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I'm all for distilleries of any color trying new and different things.  But, it sounds like when bourbon distillers try the different corn types, etc.  Not much goin' on in the way of keenly perceptible differentiation.  Grains, is grains, son...

Springbank makes good whiskey.   I remember when the GM Brent Barnett at McScrooges offered me a taste of a Springbank CS a couple years ago, I damn near knocked over the tasting table diving to grab one of the last couple on the shelf! :D

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2 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

I'm all for distilleries of any color trying new and different things.  But, it sounds like when bourbon distillers try the different corn types, etc.  Not much goin' on in the way of keenly perceptible differentiation.  Grains, is grains, son...

Springbank makes good whiskey.   I remember when the GM Brent Barnett at McScrooges offered me a taste of a Springbank CS a couple years ago, I damn near knocked over the tasting table diving to grab one of the last couple on the shelf! :D

Not sure what makes barley different from corn. Maybe the differences in different barley are truly significantly different than the differences between different types of corn.  Or maybe it is that it is common practice in scotch and so one has the opportunity to taste and appreciate the differences but it has not been that  common a practice with corn. Or maybe it is the single malt pot still keeping all of one flavor in the whiskey where bourbon is generally continuous distillation with lots of different corn being blended during the process that makes it taste more evenly.

But it seems to happen. The recent Glenmo Tusail made with Maris Otter might be a good example (compared to a standard Glenmo perhaps (they are similar ages). Or the Laddie Bere Barley from a couple of years ago (although it is a relatively young whisky as well). Or maybe I am tasting differences because I think I am supposed to be tasting differences!

But I seem to taste the difference all the same. :P

Edited by tanstaafl2
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I think there's something going on with the flavor of different barleys that significantly impacts flavor.   I don't know what it is, but common sense leads me to believe that distilleries are not betting entire bottlings on unique barleys if there was not a unique flavor profile.   The Tusail is a good example.  I've never tasted a single malt quite like it.  Is it because of the advertised barley - I have no idea - but it's different.  Springbank, back in the 60's was on to something with the local barley series as they have become the stuff of legends.  I've not tried any of those, but I'm hoping Springbank can catch lightning in a bottle twice with the this new line.   

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  • 2 months later...

Bumping this up.  Has anyone heard anything on timing for the US release?  I was told around this time, but haven't heard anything concrete yet.

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22 minutes ago, jvd99 said:

Bumping this up.  Has anyone heard anything on timing for the US release?  I was told around this time, but haven't heard anything concrete yet.

 

I haven't heard anything but then Georgia is typically late to the party, presuming they even get an invitation in the first place! More likely to show up in New York or Chicago first I would guess.

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