Springbank Local Barley 20 Years Old 1970

A distillery bottling of Springbank, a 20 year old Campbeltown malt from 1970, drawn from cask 3341 and bottled at 46%. Only 750 bottles were released. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery distilling since 1828, one of only three distilleries left in Campbeltown. Water comes from Crosshill Loch, the barley malted on the distillery's own floors.

It was distilled around two and a half times from floor malted, lightly peated barley, and worm tub cooled in the old way. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. Beyond twenty years the malt grows waxy and deep, tropical fruit and salt over an oily base. The oily, robust make carries cask flavour while holding its own character. 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 46% it is clean and characterful. Vanilla, honey and coconut meets a salty, waxy depth with a whisper of peat. The mouthfeel is oily, the fruit carried on a salty body. The finish is long, waxy and briny. This is the most traditional malt in Scotch.