Springbank 37 Years Old 1965 Jewels of Scotland (Lombard)

Lombard selected this Springbank, a 37 year old Campbeltown malt from 1965 and bottled at 46%. The Springbank distillery, established in 1828, is the most traditional distillery in Scotch, malting all its own barley. Small output and a cult following keep its bottles allocated and keenly sought.

The make was made by Springbank's singular two and a half times distillation, the vapour cooled in worm tubs. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla under the oily fruit. At three decades and more it is rich and oily, tropical fruit, beeswax and salt in a deep, old malt. Worm tub condensing and an oil fired wash still build the rich, oily texture the distillery is known for. Few distilleries keep so much of the old craft alive under one roof. Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world, with more than thirty distilleries at its peak. Today just three distilleries survive in the old Kintyre whisky town.

Bottled at 46%, it is rounded. A vanilla and toffee sweetness from the cask underpins a salty, waxy depth with a whisper of peat. Soft fruit and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. It closes long, oily and salty. This is Springbank's rich, oily, maritime style.