Springbank Hand Filled Distillery Exclusive

This Springbank, an official release and bottled at 57.6%. Springbank, run by J and A Mitchell since 1828 in Campbeltown, is run much as it was a century ago. It makes three malts: Springbank, the peated Longrow and the unpeated Hazelburn.

This was distilled the Springbank way, two and a half times from floor malted barley, then condensed through worm tubs. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. Carrying no age, it leans on an oily weight and a coastal complexity. Years in oak deepen the fruit and the maritime character together. A 1940s Porteus mill and an open iron mash tun are part of the old setup. The Mitchell family has held the distillery for five generations. The town and the sea run through every cask of the make. The sea loch at the foot of the town shapes the coastal character of the malt. Demand far outstrips the small output, and bottles are keenly chased.

At a hearty 57.6% it carries real weight. A vanilla and toffee sweetness from the cask underpins oily orchard fruit, salt and a wisp of peat. A coastal salt and an orchard fruit lift it. The close is rich, fruit over a saline depth. This is an oily, salty Campbeltown classic.