Springbank Longrow 18 Years Old (46% Europe)

A distillery bottling of Longrow, an 18 year old and bottled at 46%. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery run by J and A Mitchell since 1828, famous for doing everything on site, from floor malting to bottling. The whole process, malting included, is carried out by hand on the one site.

It was distilled twice from barley floor malted and peated hard, and slowly worm tub cooled. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, gentle American oak beneath the spirit. Around the mid teens the malt gains depth while keeping its oily salt. A patient maturation suits the rich, complex Campbeltown spirit. The sea loch at the foot of the town shapes the coastal character of the malt. Demand far outstrips the small output, and bottles are keenly chased. Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn each show a different face of the one distillery. The open larch washbacks are a rare survival in modern Scotch. The distillery has become a place of pilgrimage for whisky enthusiasts.

At an easy 46% it is gentle. A coastal peat smoke with a briny depth sit over creamy vanilla and oak sweetness. It is rich and layered, the fruit and salt well matched. The finish is long, waxy and briny. This is the peated face of Campbeltown.