Springbank 16 Years Old (55.7%)

An official Springbank single malt, a 16 year old release from 1999 and bottled at 55.7%. A release of 276 bottles. Springbank, distilling since 1828 in Campbeltown, is a byword for traditional Scotch whisky making. Campbeltown was its own protected whisky region long before the revival.

This was run through the distillery's part triple distillation, the malt floor malted and gently peated, and slowly worm tub cooled. 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. The hands on, small scale working shapes a spirit of real individuality. 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. Kintyre's damp, mild climate suits a long and gentle maturation.

At a hearty 55.7% it carries real weight. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat ride on a sherried dried fruit and nuts. It is rich and layered, the fruit and salt well matched. A warming, oily finish lingers long. This is a hand made Campbeltown single malt.