Springbank 21 Years Old (47.9%)

A distillery bottling of Springbank matured to 21 year old from 1995 and bottled at 47.9%. 318 bottles in all. Springbank has distilled in Campbeltown since 1828, a cult Campbeltown distillery with a devoted following. Each bottling is filled and labelled in Campbeltown rather than shipped away.

It was made by Springbank's singular two and a half times distillation, then cooled slowly in worm tubs. A sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut. Long ageing brings an oily depth, candied fruit and a mellow coastal salt. The cool, damp Campbeltown air by the sea gives a slow, even maturation. 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. The town and the sea run through every cask of the make. The sea loch at the foot of the town shapes the coastal character of the malt.

At its natural 47.9% it is concentrated. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat ride on a sherried dried fruit and nuts. The texture is rich and oily, the salt threaded through. The finish runs deep, briny and warm. This is a complex, coastal Campbeltown whisky.