Springbank 30 Years Old (46%)

This Springbank, an official release, a 30 year old and bottled at 46%. Established in 1828, Springbank is one of the last working distilleries of old Campbeltown. It makes three malts: Springbank, the peated Longrow and the unpeated Hazelburn.

The spirit was given Springbank's unusual two and a half times distillation, then condensed through worm tubs. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. At this great age the malt is full and waxy, the fruit deep and the salt mellow. Sea air works into the warehouses, lending a saline thread as the whisky breathes. 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 46% it is soft, oily and coastal. An oily, maritime character with light peat are layered with a vanilla and toffee sweetness. A coastal salt and an orchard fruit lift it. Sea salt and fruit draw out the close. This is an oily, salty Campbeltown classic.