Springbank 25 Years Old (43%)

A distillery bottling of Springbank matured to 25 year old and bottled at 43%. Springbank has distilled in Campbeltown since 1828, one of only three distilleries left in Campbeltown. Water comes from Crosshill Loch, the barley malted on the distillery's own floors.

It was made by Springbank's singular two and a half times distillation, and worm tub cooled in the old way. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. Long ageing brings an oily depth, candied fruit and a mellow coastal salt. The oily, robust make carries cask flavour while holding its own character. 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. The town and the sea run through every cask of the make.

At an easy 43% it is gentle. Vanilla, honey and coconut meets a salty, waxy depth with a whisper of peat. The mouthfeel is oily, the fruit carried on a salty body. The finish runs deep, briny and warm. This is the most traditional malt in Scotch.