Springbank 19 Years Old 1996 Cask #551 (Archives)

Bottled by Archives, this Springbank, aged 19 year old from 1996, drawn from cask 551 and bottled at 54.9%. A release of 239 bottles. Springbank, run by J and A Mitchell since 1828 in Campbeltown, is one of only three distilleries left in Campbeltown. Water comes from Crosshill Loch, the barley malted on the distillery's own floors.

This was given Springbank's unusual two and a half times distillation, and worm tub cooled in the old way. Ex-Bourbon casks held the spirit, soft oak that lets the make lead. Mid age brings a fuller fruit and a deeper coastal complexity. Everything is done on site, the spirit going from still to cask to bottle in Campbeltown. Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn each show a different face of the one distillery. The open larch washbacks are a rare survival in modern Scotch. The distillery has become a place of pilgrimage for whisky enthusiasts. Kintyre's damp, mild climate suits a long and gentle maturation.

At a full 54.9% it is bold and oily. A vanilla and toffee sweetness meets an oily, maritime character with light peat. Soft fruit and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. Sea salt and fruit draw out the close. This is a revered Campbeltown single malt.