Springbank Open Day 2019 8 Years Old 2011

An official Springbank single malt, an 8 year old release from 2011 and bottled at 56.8%. Just 1100 bottles were filled. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery run by J and A Mitchell since 1828, famous for doing everything on site, from floor malting to bottling. The family owner also holds Cadenhead's, the oldest independent bottler in Scotland.

It was distilled around two and a half times from floor malted, lightly peated barley, with the spirit condensed in worm tubs. Ex-Sherry wood suited the heavy make, adding a dried fruit richness. At a youthful age the make is lively, salty and full of character. A patient maturation suits the rich, complex Campbeltown spirit. The spirit is filled to cask and matured within the distillery walls. 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.

Bottled at a cask strength 56.8%, it is rich. Brine, wax and a light peat note sit over dried fruit, fig and walnut. A waxy weight and a saline tang give it real body. The finish is long, waxy and briny. This is Springbank's rich, oily, maritime style.