Springbank Longrow 21 Years Old (46%)

This Longrow, an official release, a 21 year old from 1994 and bottled at 46%. The outturn was 230 bottles. A family distillery since 1828, Springbank is prized for its rich, oily, hand made spirit. The distillery champions the old, slow, labour intensive way of making whisky.

The spirit was run twice through the stills from heavily peated malt, and condensed in traditional worm tubs. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, lending vanilla and honey. At this age it is rich and complex, the fruit folded into a waxy, briny body. Long maturation suits the heavy, characterful make, the cask knitting slowly with the spirit. 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 clean and characterful. A robust peat reek over brine meet vanilla, cream and light coconut from the cask. Beneath it run oily fruit, salt and a coastal depth. Sea salt and fruit draw out the close. This is a tarry, coastal Campbeltown malt.