Springbank 26 Years Old 1999 Cask #C25141 (Claxton’s)

From Claxton's comes this Springbank matured to 26 year old from 1999, drawn from cask C25141 and bottled at 47.8%. Just 74 bottles were filled. Springbank has distilled in Campbeltown since 1828, still owned by the Mitchell family, five generations on. Production is tiny by modern standards, a fraction of a large Speyside distillery.

It was run through the distillery's part triple distillation, the malt floor malted and gently peated, and run into cast iron worm tubs. Ex-Sherry wood suited the heavy make, adding a dried fruit richness. Long ageing brings an oily depth, candied fruit and a mellow coastal salt. The oily, robust make carries cask flavour while holding its own character. Kintyre's damp, mild climate suits a long and gentle maturation. The old town of Campbeltown once rivalled Speyside as Scotland's whisky heart. Quality and tradition, not volume, have always been the watchwords here.

At its natural 47.8% it is concentrated. A salty, waxy depth with a whisper of peat meet a sherried dried fruit and nuts from the cask. The texture is rich and oily, the salt threaded through. A long finish smoulders on salt and oil. This is Springbank's rich, oily, maritime style.