Springbank 24 Years Old 1996 Cask #11523 (East Asia Whisky Company)

East Asia Whisky Company bottled this Springbank, aged 24 year old from 1996, drawn from cask 11523 and bottled at 48.8%. Just 151 bottles were filled. Springbank, founded in 1828 in Campbeltown, is one of the last working distilleries of old Campbeltown. It makes three malts: Springbank, the peated Longrow and the unpeated Hazelburn.

This was distilled around two and a half times from floor malted, lightly peated barley, then condensed through worm tubs. Ex-Sherry wood suited the heavy make, adding a dried fruit richness. At this age it is rich and complex, the fruit folded into a waxy, briny body. Sea air works into the warehouses, lending a saline thread as the whisky breathes. Kintyre's damp, mild climate suits a long and gentle maturation. The old town of Campbeltown once rivalled Speyside as Scotland's whisky heart. Quality and tradition, not volume, have always been the watchwords here.

At a full 48.8% it is bold and oily. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat are layered with dried fruit and a walnut richness. A coastal salt and an orchard fruit lift it. The close is rich, fruit over a saline depth. This is a hand made Campbeltown single malt.