Springbank Wood Expressions 12 Years Old 1989

An official Springbank single malt, a 12 year old from 1989 and bottled at 54.6%. Just 5700 bottles were filled. Springbank has distilled in Campbeltown since 1828, famous for doing everything on site, from floor malting to bottling. The family owner also holds Cadenhead's, the oldest independent bottler in Scotland.

It was made by Springbank's singular two and a half times distillation, with the spirit condensed in worm tubs. A Rum cask shaped it, lending brown sugar and a tropical lift. By this age the maritime weight rounds into a richer, fuller malt. A patient maturation suits the rich, complex Campbeltown spirit. Few distilleries keep so much of the old craft alive under one roof. Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world, with more than thirty distilleries at its peak. Today just three distilleries survive in the old Kintyre whisky town. The maritime warehouses by the sea lend the malt its briny, oily depth.

At a natural 54.6% it is full and oily. Brine, wax and a light peat note sit over brown sugar and a rum sweetness. A waxy weight and a saline tang give it real body. The finish runs deep, briny and warm. This is Springbank's rich, oily, maritime style.