Springbank 12 Years Old 1991 Finest (Hart Brothers)

Hart Brothers selected this Springbank matured to 12 year old from 1991 and bottled at 46%. Springbank has distilled in Campbeltown since 1828, the most traditional distillery in Scotch, malting all its own barley. Bottles are released in small batches, often through ballots to meet the demand.

It was run through the distillery's part triple distillation, the malt floor malted and gently peated, the vapour cooled in worm tubs. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, lending vanilla and honey. Mid age brings a fuller fruit and a deeper coastal complexity. Worm tub condensing and an oil fired wash still build the rich, oily texture the distillery is known for. 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. The Mitchell family has held the distillery for five generations.

At 46% it is soft, oily and coastal. A vanilla and toffee sweetness from the cask underpins brine, wax and a light peat note. Soft fruit and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. It finishes deep, complex and maritime. This is the most traditional malt in Scotch.