Springbank Black Label Cork stopper 1978

This Springbank, an official release from 1978 and bottled at 46%. Springbank has distilled in Campbeltown since 1828, run much as it was a century ago. The cult around Springbank has made it one of the most collected of all malts.

It was given the part triple distillation unique to Springbank, then condensed through worm tubs. Ex-Bourbon casks held the spirit, soft oak that lets the make lead. Without an age statement, the malt is rich, salty and characterful. Years in oak deepen the fruit and the maritime character together. 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. The old town of Campbeltown once rivalled Speyside as Scotland's whisky heart. Quality and tradition, not volume, have always been the watchwords here. The spirit is filled to cask and matured within the distillery walls.

At 46% it is clean and characterful. Vanilla, honey and coconut from the cask underpins oily orchard fruit, salt and a wisp of peat. A coastal salt and an orchard fruit lift it. It finishes deep, complex and maritime. This is an oily, salty Campbeltown classic.