Springbank 15 Years Old (43%)

This Springbank, an official release, a 15 year old release and bottled at 43%. Springbank, founded in 1828 in Campbeltown, is one of the last working distilleries of old Campbeltown. Production is tiny by modern standards, a fraction of a large Speyside distillery.

This was distilled the Springbank way, two and a half times from floor malted barley, and run into cast iron worm tubs. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the distillery character to the fore. Mid age brings a fuller fruit and a deeper coastal complexity. Sea air works into the warehouses, lending a saline thread as the whisky breathes. 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.

At 43% it is supple and briny. An oily, maritime character with light peat are layered with creamy vanilla and oak sweetness. It is deep and complex, the maritime spirit shining through. The close is rich, fruit over a saline depth. This is the cult Campbeltown malt from J and A Mitchell.