Springbank Private Bottling 21 Years Old 1998

A distillery bottling of Springbank, a 21 year old from 1998, drawn from cask 13/191-1 and bottled at 46.2%. 255 bottles in all. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery distilling since 1828, one of only three distilleries left in Campbeltown. Each bottling is filled and labelled in Campbeltown rather than shipped away.

It was distilled around two and a half times from floor malted, lightly peated barley, then cooled slowly in worm tubs. A sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut. Long ageing brings an oily depth, candied fruit and a mellow coastal salt. The oily, robust make carries cask flavour while holding its own character. 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.

Undiluted at 46.2%, it is intense. A sherried dried fruit and nuts meets a salty, waxy depth with a whisper of peat. The texture is rich and oily, the salt threaded through. The finish is long, waxy and briny. This is a complex, coastal Campbeltown whisky.