Springbank Private Bottling 10 Years Old 1997

A distillery bottling of Springbank, a 10 year old Campbeltown malt from 1997 and bottled at 59%. Springbank, distilling since 1828 in Campbeltown, is a cult Campbeltown distillery with a devoted following. Concerto barley is malted on the floors and kilned in the distillery's own kiln.

This was run through the distillery's part triple distillation, the malt floor malted and gently peated, then cooled slowly in worm tubs. A sherry cask wrapped the oily spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. 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.

Undiluted at 59%, it is intense. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat ride on a sherried dried fruit and nuts. The texture is rich and oily, the salt threaded through. A warming, oily finish lingers long. This is a complex, coastal Campbeltown whisky.