Springbank Private Bottling 18 Years Old 2001

This official Springbank single malt, an 18 year old release from 2001, drawn from cask 99 and bottled at 51.7%. The outturn was 246 bottles. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery run by J and A Mitchell since 1828, Campbeltown's most revered surviving distillery. Small output and a cult following keep its bottles allocated and keenly sought.

It was floor malted, lightly peated and distilled two and a half times, the vapour cooled in worm tubs. Ex-Sherry wood suited the heavy make, adding a dried fruit richness. Past a decade the oily spirit deepens, fruit and salt knitting with the oak. Everything is done on site, the spirit going from still to cask to bottle in Campbeltown. 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.

At 51.7%, undiluted, it is deep and powerful. An oily, maritime character with light peat are layered with dried fruit and a walnut richness. Soft fruit and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. A long, oily, coastal finish lingers. This is a revered Campbeltown single malt.