Springbank Longrow 2000

An official Longrow single malt, a 7 year old from 2000 and bottled at 55.8%. Just 12120 bottles were filled. A family distillery since 1828, Springbank is a cult Campbeltown distillery with a devoted following. Each bottling is filled and labelled in Campbeltown rather than shipped away.

The spirit was made by double distillation of heavily peated Campbeltown malt, then cooled slowly in worm tubs. A wine cask shaped it, the fruit and tannin meeting the oily spirit. Still young, the malt is oily and robust with a coastal lift. 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. Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn each show a different face of the one distillery.

At a hearty 55.8% it carries real weight. A robust peat reek over brine ride on berry fruit and a tannic spice. The texture is rich and oily, the salt threaded through. Salt and oily fruit see out a long finish. This is Longrow, the heavily peated Campbeltown malt.