Springbank 12 Years Old Cask #Batch 5

An official Springbank single malt, a 12 year old, drawn from cask Batch 5 and bottled at 52.2%. Only 9000 bottles were released. The Springbank distillery, a family distillery since 1828, is famous for doing everything on site, from floor malting to bottling. The family owner also holds Cadenhead's, the oldest independent bottler in Scotland.

The make was run two and a half times through the stills from lightly peated malt, with the spirit condensed in worm tubs. A sherry cask wrapped the oily spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Past a decade the oily spirit deepens, fruit and salt knitting with the oak. A patient maturation suits the rich, complex Campbeltown spirit. The distillery has become a place of pilgrimage for whisky enthusiasts. Kintyre's damp, mild climate suits a long and gentle maturation. The old town of Campbeltown once rivalled Speyside as Scotland's whisky heart.

At a hearty 52.2% it carries real weight. Brine, wax and a light peat note sit over dried fruit and a vanilla oak. A waxy weight and a saline tang give it real body. A long finish smoulders on salt and oil. This is Springbank's rich, oily, maritime style.