Springbank 19 Years Old 1996 Cask #162 (Blackadder)

Blackadder bottled this Springbank, a 19 year old from 1996, drawn from cask 162 and bottled at 57.7%. Only 218 bottles were released. In Mitchell family hands since 1828, Springbank is run much as it was a century ago. The cult around Springbank has made it one of the most collected of all malts.

The spirit was distilled around two and a half times from floor malted, lightly peated barley, then condensed through worm tubs. A sherry cask wrapped the oily spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Around the mid teens the malt gains depth while keeping its oily salt. Refill oak lets the distillery character lead, all oily weight and coastal salt. 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.

Undiluted at 57.7%, it is intense. A sherried dried fruit and nuts from the cask underpins brine, wax and a light peat note. 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.