Springbank 12 Years Old Cask #Batch 11

A distillery bottling of Springbank matured to 12 year old, drawn from cask Batch 11 and bottled at 53.8%. Just 9000 bottles were filled. In Mitchell family hands since 1828, Springbank is one of only three distilleries left in Campbeltown. Each bottling is filled and labelled in Campbeltown rather than shipped away.

The spirit was drawn off after two and a half distillations of gently peated malt, then cooled slowly in worm tubs. Ex-Sherry wood suited the heavy make, adding a dried fruit richness. Around the mid teens the malt gains depth while keeping its oily salt. The oily, robust make carries cask flavour while holding its own character. A 1940s Porteus mill and an open iron mash tun are part of the old setup. The Mitchell family has held the distillery for five generations. The town and the sea run through every cask of the make. The sea loch at the foot of the town shapes the coastal character of the malt.

Bottled at a cask strength 53.8%, it is rich. Raisin, fig and a vanilla sweetness meets a salty, waxy depth with a whisper of peat. The texture is rich and oily, the salt threaded through. Salt and oily fruit see out a long finish. This is a complex, coastal Campbeltown whisky.