Springbank 21 Years Old (46% 2018) #2

This official Springbank single malt, a 21 year old release from 1996 and bottled at 46%. The outturn was 534 bottles. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery distilling 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 floor malted, lightly peated and distilled two and a half times, the vapour cooled in worm tubs. A sherry cask wrapped the oily spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. At this age it is rich and complex, the fruit folded into a waxy, briny body. Worm tub condensing and an oil fired wash still build the rich, oily texture the distillery is known for. Few distilleries keep so much of the old craft alive under one roof. 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.

At an easy 46% it is gentle. Dried fruit and a walnut richness from the cask underpins oily orchard fruit, salt and a wisp of peat. Soft fruit and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. A long, oily, coastal finish lingers. This is a revered Campbeltown single malt.