Springbank 12 Years Old

A distillery bottling of Springbank, a 12 year old release and bottled at 43%. Springbank, distilling since 1828 in Campbeltown, is a cult Campbeltown distillery with a devoted following. Each bottling is filled and labelled in Campbeltown rather than shipped away.

This was run through the distillery's part triple distillation, the malt floor malted and gently peated, then cooled slowly in worm tubs. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the distillery character to the fore. Around the mid teens the malt gains depth while keeping its oily salt. The cool, damp Campbeltown air by the sea gives a slow, even maturation. Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world, with more than thirty distilleries at its peak. 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 43% it is soft, oily and coastal. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat ride on creamy vanilla and oak sweetness. The texture is rich and oily, the salt threaded through. A warming, oily finish lingers long. This is a complex, coastal Campbeltown whisky.