Springbank 27 Years Old 1995 Cask #472 (Blackadder)

Bottled by Blackadder, this Springbank, a 27 year old release from 1995, drawn from cask 472 and bottled at 53.9%. The outturn was 148 bottles. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery run by J and A Mitchell since 1828, a survivor of Campbeltown's great whisky era. Little has changed in the way the spirit is made for the best part of a century.

It was given the part triple distillation unique to Springbank, and worm tub cooled in the old way. Ex-Sherry wood suited the heavy make, adding a dried fruit richness. Past twenty years the spirit turns waxy and profound while keeping its character. Long maturation suits the heavy, characterful make, the cask knitting slowly with the spirit. Today just three distilleries survive in the old Kintyre whisky town. The maritime warehouses by the sea lend the malt its briny, oily depth. A 1940s Porteus mill and an open iron mash tun are part of the old setup.

At its natural 53.9% it is concentrated. A coastal, waxy spirit with gentle peat sit over dried fruit and a walnut richness. Soft fruit and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. It finishes deep, complex and maritime. This is a revered Campbeltown single malt.