Springbank 1996 Marsala Finish

This Springbank, an official release, aged 9 year old from 1996 and bottled at 58%. Just 7740 bottles were filled. Established in 1828, Springbank is one of the last working distilleries of old Campbeltown. 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. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. At a youthful age the make is lively, salty and full of character. Sea air works into the warehouses, lending a saline thread as the whisky breathes. Quality and tradition, not volume, have always been the watchwords here. The spirit is filled to cask and matured within the distillery walls. Few distilleries keep so much of the old craft alive under one roof. Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world, with more than thirty distilleries at its peak.

At 58%, undiluted, it is deep and powerful. An oily, maritime character with light peat are layered with vanilla, honey and coconut. A coastal salt and an orchard fruit lift it. Sea salt and fruit draw out the close. This is an oily, salty Campbeltown classic.