Springbank Vintage Batch 1 8 Years Old 2001

An official Springbank single malt, an 8 year old release from 2001 and bottled at 55.3%. Only 6000 bottles were released. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery distilling since 1828, a family distillery that malts and bottles every drop on site. Campbeltown was its own protected whisky region long before the revival.

It was distilled around two and a half times from floor malted, lightly peated barley, and slowly worm tub cooled. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the distillery character to the fore. At this age the spirit is vivid and oily, the fruit and salt to the fore. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the oily, complex core over time. 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.

Undiluted at 55.3%, it is intense. Creamy vanilla and oak sweetness meets a salty, waxy depth with a whisper of peat. It is rich and layered, the fruit and salt well matched. The finish is long, waxy and briny. This is a hand made Campbeltown single malt.