Whisky Review: Springbank Local Barley 16 Year Old

Classic interplay of malt, a little smoke, and sultana. I’m reminded of a glass of Springbank 10 Year 100 Proof that I savored last year. However, I must say that Local Barley 16 Year Old is more mature, and even more “old skool,” if you can believe it. The composition is so masterfully executed that it tastes a little different with each sip. Such variability reveals a master stroke of craftsmanship. Upon one’s tongue, the malt turns sweet right away with some overtones of vanilla bean and caramel sauce drizzled on cheesecake. Industrial notes are not far behind with hints of furniture polish and the kind of mineral oil used to sharpen knife blades. Some fruitiness also comes into play with dried apricot. Lastly, one is left with an oceanic form of saltiness that seems to evoke some batches of the 1960’s Local Barleys. In the finish, there’s a hint of heather honey that I tasted recently in a 30 year old Highland Park. I wouldn’t categorize the finish as bitter, and yet it moves through a green sappy vegetal note that seems almost bitter, but not quite. This compliments sweeter overtones from the palate remarkably well. A phantom savory note, as of marbling on a fire roasted rib-eye steak, is present at the death, for those who have the ability to detect it. Influence of water: On the nose, water eliminates the damp wool scent right off the bat. One is left with a more austere grassy, mineral impression–along with a foundation of malt and some peat, as might be expected. In the mouth, water also simplifies things. The broth is reduced to light caramel, wet moss, and very little in the way of stone fruits (no more dried apricots). But I do still get a hint of lemon rind, along with a wee bit of grapefruit. Local Barley 2016 is more citrusy with water, in other words. Some whisky critics have announced that Local Barley 16 Year Old takes water quite well. Since I employ a dropper to add water, I was able to try the whisky with a few drops, and then to add a few more, and a few more– sipping as I went, as time slowed down–until my glass had reached nearly a teaspoon’s worth. For me, that was well over the limit of what I would advise. Of course, the addition of water, especially into cask strength whiskies, is really a matter of individual taste. But for heaven’s sake, don’t water-log your precious charge in one fell swoop! When it comes to water, less is more with this one. A few drops can relax Local Barley’s very respectable 54.3% ABV without stripping away all of the amazing subtleties. Conclusion and Cost Analysis: Local Barley does succeed in evoking an old-school form of craft-oriented whisky. I’m amazed this stuff is only sixteen years old. There must be some older casks in the batch. Yes, it definitely tastes older to me at times. Springbank’s magickal broth has the power of sixteen years, and the charismatic charm of twenty years. In fact, as I said, I was reminded at one point of the latest release of Highland Park’s 30-Year-Old, and that is high praise considering how high I rated that one! Few releases have piqued as much attention this year among whisky nerds as this release. The run produced 9,000 bottles. It’s interesting to point out that, like most Springbank bottlings, the Local Barley started out at a very low price that hovered around $117. After the initial shipments had sold out (in hours), distributors raised the rates considerably. As of the writing of this review, the average cost in the United States is around $190. In the UK, meanwhile, what’s left in shops there is pricing slightly lower at around $160 USD. Once supplies dwindle around the planet, we can expect to see the price go up dramatically. I predict one bottle will fetch between $400-500 at auction once 2016 Local Barley 16 Year Old becomes collectible due to two factors: scarcity and desirability. In other words, even if $200 seems excessive, now is the time to buy (see our buy link at the end of this article on where to pick up a bottle). As for qualms about pricing on Springbank, David Allen, a spokesperson for Springbank Distillery, went on record a few months ago as stating that the core ranges have not been increased in two years. Here in my home state of Oregon, Local Barley 16-Year-Old will probably never see the light of day. However, the Springbank 12-Year-Old Cask Strength costs $110, whereas prices on Wine Searcher hover between $80-100. Springbank 15-Year-Old costs $126 in Oregon, and between $70-80 in the UK. A Springbank 18-Year-Old Official Bottling costs $244 here, and yet it sells for a little over $100 across the pond in London. What’s more, according to my research, I’ve found there are websites in the UK that will ship an order of four bottles for an approximate cost of $60 to states in the USA (which allow shipments). I contacted one prominent online purveyor of whisky (which shall remain anonymous) for comment, and its representative told me that costs escalate on limited bottlings, such as Local Barley 16-Year-Old, due to outsourcing from third party distributors. Personally, I think that the best way to get around double, triple, or even quadruple “middle man” price inflation would be to encourage cooperative international legislation that allows one or two bottles per year to be shipped from a distillery to folks who “belong” – such as the proud members of Springbank Society. FINAL SCORE: 93/100