Springbank Society Bottling Local Barley 14 Years Old 1999

An official Springbank single malt, a 14 year old from 1999 and bottled at 57.8%. A release of 546 bottles. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery founded in 1828, a byword for traditional Scotch whisky making. The distillery sits in the heart of Campbeltown, near the head of its sea loch.

It was distilled around two and a half times from floor malted, lightly peated barley, with the spirit condensed in worm tubs. A sherry cask wrapped the oily spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Mid age brings a fuller fruit and a deeper coastal complexity. The hands on, small scale working shapes a spirit of real individuality. Demand far outstrips the small output, and bottles are keenly chased. Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn each show a different face of the one distillery. The open larch washbacks are a rare survival in modern Scotch. The distillery has become a place of pilgrimage for whisky enthusiasts.

At a full 57.8% it is bold and oily. A briny, oily depth with a hint of peat ride on a sherried dried fruit and nuts. 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.