Springbank 10 Years Old 1995 (Alchemist)

A Springbank single malt, selected and bottled by Alchemist, aged 10 year old from 1995 and bottled at 46%. Springbank, distilling since 1828 in Campbeltown, is prized for its rich, oily, hand made spirit. The distillery champions the old, slow, labour intensive way of making whisky.

This was drawn off after two and a half distillations of gently peated malt, and condensed in traditional worm tubs. A wine cask shaped it, the fruit and tannin meeting the oily spirit. Younger here, it keeps a vigorous, briny freshness over the oily body. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the oily, complex core over time. Demand far outstrips the small output, and bottles are keenly chased. Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn each show a different face of the one distillery. The open larch washbacks are a rare survival in modern Scotch. The distillery has become a place of pilgrimage for whisky enthusiasts.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow. A salty, waxy depth with a whisper of peat meet plum, cherry and red fruit from the cask. It is rich and layered, the fruit and salt well matched. Salt and oily fruit see out a long finish. This is a hand made Campbeltown single malt.