Springbank Society Bottling 14 Years Old 1998

A distillery bottling of Springbank, a 14 year old release from 1998 and bottled at 55.7%. A release of 600 bottles. Springbank has distilled in Campbeltown since 1828, a cult Campbeltown distillery with a devoted following. Water comes from Crosshill Loch, the barley malted on the distillery's own floors.

It was made by Springbank's singular two and a half times distillation, and worm tub cooled in the old way. A wine cask shaped it, the fruit and tannin meeting the oily spirit. Around the mid teens the malt gains depth while keeping its oily salt. The cool, damp Campbeltown air by the sea gives a slow, even maturation. Today just three distilleries survive in the old Kintyre whisky town. The maritime warehouses by the sea lend the malt its briny, oily depth. 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.

Bottled at a cask strength 55.7%, it is rich. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat ride on plum and red berry. The mouthfeel is oily, the fruit carried on a salty body. The finish runs deep, briny and warm. This is the most traditional malt in Scotch.