Springbank Private Bottling 25 Years Old 1996

A distillery bottling of Springbank, a 25 year old from 1996, drawn from cask 74 and bottled at 49%. 173 bottles in all. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery founded in 1828, a cult Campbeltown distillery with a devoted following. Little has changed in the way the spirit is made for the best part of a century.

It was distilled around two and a half times from floor malted, lightly peated barley, and worm tub cooled in the old way. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the maritime malt. Long ageing brings an oily depth, candied fruit and a mellow coastal salt. The cool, damp Campbeltown air by the sea gives a slow, even maturation. 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.

Bottled at a cask strength 49%, it is rich. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat ride on dried fruit and a walnut richness. 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.