Springbank 27 Years Old JM In Celebration 500 Years of Scotch Whisky 1494 1994 (James MacArthur)

A Springbank single malt, selected and bottled by James MacArthur matured to 27 year old and bottled at 49.1%. Springbank has distilled in Campbeltown since 1828, Campbeltown's most revered surviving distillery. The distillery champions the old, slow, labour intensive way of making whisky.

It was run through the distillery's part triple distillation, the malt floor malted and gently peated, and condensed in traditional worm tubs. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. Past twenty years the spirit turns waxy and profound while keeping its character. 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.

At its natural 49.1% it is concentrated. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat are layered with a vanilla and toffee sweetness. The texture is rich and oily, the salt threaded through. The finish is long, waxy and briny. This is a complex, coastal Campbeltown whisky.