Springbank Longrow 13 Years Old (51.6%)

A distillery bottling of Longrow, a 13 year old release and bottled at 51.6%. A release of 9000 bottles. Springbank has distilled in Campbeltown since 1828, a byword for traditional Scotch whisky making. The whole process, malting included, is carried out by hand on the one site.

It was distilled twice from barley floor malted and peated hard, and slowly worm tub cooled. A sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut. Around the mid teens the malt gains depth while keeping its oily salt. The hands on, small scale working shapes a spirit of real individuality. 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 a natural 51.6% it is full and oily. A tarry, maritime smoke ride on dried fruit and a vanilla oak. It is rich and layered, the fruit and salt well matched. The finish runs deep, briny and warm. This is Longrow, the heavily peated Campbeltown malt.