Springbank Local Barley 10 Years Old 2015

A distillery bottling of Springbank, aged 10 year old from 2015 and bottled at 55.2%. Only 8000 bottles were released. Springbank, distilling since 1828 in Campbeltown, is a cult Campbeltown distillery with a devoted following. Water comes from Crosshill Loch, the barley malted on the distillery's own floors.

This was run through the distillery's part triple distillation, the malt floor malted and gently peated, and worm tub cooled in the old way. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the maritime malt. At this age the spirit is vivid and oily, the fruit and salt to the fore. The cool, damp Campbeltown air by the sea gives a slow, even maturation. 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. Demand far outstrips the small output, and bottles are keenly chased.

At a hearty 55.2% it carries real weight. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat ride on raisin, fig and a vanilla sweetness. The mouthfeel is oily, the fruit carried on a salty body. A warming, oily finish lingers long. This is the most traditional malt in Scotch.