Springbank 16 Years Old

This Springbank, an official release matured to 16 year old and bottled at 45.5%. Only 204 bottles were released. In Mitchell family hands since 1828, Springbank is run much as it was a century ago. The cult around Springbank has made it one of the most collected of all malts.

The spirit was given Springbank's unusual two and a half times distillation, then condensed through worm tubs. A Rum cask shaped it, lending brown sugar and a tropical lift. Mid age brings a fuller fruit and a deeper coastal complexity. Years in oak deepen the fruit and the maritime character together. 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. Demand far outstrips the small output, and bottles are keenly chased.

At an approachable 45.5% it is balanced. Brown sugar and a rum sweetness from the cask underpins oily orchard fruit, salt and a wisp of peat. A coastal salt and an orchard fruit lift it. Sea salt and fruit draw out the close. This is an oily, salty Campbeltown classic.