Springbank Distillery
Well Close
Campbeltown,
Argyll PA28 6ET
+44 1586 552 085 1828
Founded
in 1828 by Archibald Mitchell, Springbank has always been the property
of the Mitchell family. Archibald is the great-grandfather of the
current owner. From the very beginning, the know-how of Archibald
Mitchell was universally recognized, and his malt was already purchased
for a high price by the contemporary blenders .
In those days about 30 distilleries were active in Campbeltown, while the city
just had 1969 inhabitants. One of the characteristics of the whisky produced
then is their strongly peaty character, like some of the current Islay whiskies.
The peaty whisky being less to the taste of the blenders in the 1850's, Springbank
was one of the first distilleries in Campbeltown to dry their malt above a coal
fire. There were coal mines round the town.
Campbeltown's distilleries business was flourishing until the great financial
crisis in 1930. From this date, the distilleries were obliged to close, the one
after the other. Also Springbank had to close for years.
Less changes have occurred since its creation. Springbank is one of the only distilleries
to produce its own malt for 100%.
Fermentation happens in wooden washbacks, and is specially slow. It takes about
70 hours.
Springbank also owns a bottling plant.
The distillery produces 3 different malts. The first, called Springbank is distilled
2,5 times. The malt is dried for 6 hours above a peat fire, then for 24 hours
by warm air. The result is a slightly peaty malt. For the distillation, the
wash is distilled a first time, the distillation body being separated from the
head and tail. Then a part of the low wines is redistilled,also with separation
of head and tail. The feints obtained by this process are then distilled with
the low wines from the first distillation.
Maturation happens in several types of cask: bourbon, refill, rum, madeira or
sherry.
The second malt produced by the distillery is the Longrow, named after an old
neighbour distillery, closed since 1896 and whose last existing warehouse shelters
Springbank's bottling plant. This malt is dried above a peat fire for 100%, and
the taste is stronger. Longrow has a classic double distillation. Nowadays, Longrow
is marketed as a 10 years old version, but a 15 years old version is foreseen
when the spirit will be that old. The Longrow production was restarted in 1897.
Longrow is exclusively matured in refill casks.
The distillation of the third malt began in 1996, and an 8 years old version
will be marketed. Hazelburn, named after another distillery closed since 1925
will be available soon. The malt for Hazelburn is exclusively dried by warm air
and the maturation happens in Bourbon casks for 100%.
About 70% of the production is marketed as single malt, the remaining entering
in the blends Campbeltown and Mitchell 12 years.
| Springbank | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| O.B. | 10 years | 17 | |
| 10 years 100¡ Proof | 19 | ||
| 12 years | 18 3/4 | ||
| 175 anniversary | 17 1/4 | ||
| Cask Strength Batch 1, 1997 | 17 | ||
| Port Wood | 17 | ||
| Bourbon Wood 12 | 17 2/5 | ||
| 16 y.o., Rhum finish | 18 | ||
| Hazelburn Fisrt Edition | |||
| Longrow 10 years | 18 3/4 | ||
| Rum Wood | 18 2/3 | ||
| 21 years | 18 3/4 | ||
| Dewar Rattray | Cask Collection, 13 years - for Potstill Austria | 19 | |
| Jean Boyer | Best Casks of Scotland, 1996 | 18 | |
| Signatory | Un-chillfiltered collection 1989 | 14 2/3 |
Springbank 10 years |
|
Age |
10 years |
Alcohol |
46° |
Bottler |
Official |
Particularity |
Non chill filtered |
The colour is pale gold. The nose, very "Springbank" is
charming (strawberry and vanilla hints).
The palate, frank and spicy confirms the nose.
The finis, sweet and salty is slightly oily and woody (oak).
Nose: refreshing, herbal, menthol, sea air. Palate: refreshing, toffe, spicy mint and late salt as if it was a
question of a spray. A complex whisky where they are and a drink that must not get lost anybody .
85/100
C.: Very pale, white wine
N.: A very strong and zesty nose in the beginning: Almost chloroformical, biting, with a hefty spritty, alcoholic attack. Later, after leaving the glass for a short time, a very different picture appears: It's not alcohol anymore domanting the nose, this is the most oaky nose I ever experienced. Deep beneath there are layers of friuts, coconut (pina colada) and burnt sugar surrounded by the oak.
T.: Very firm, but after this nosing-sensation the first impression is a little bit one-dimensional. No caribbean cocktails anymore, it's oakwood again. After adding one drop of water, there is far more complexity to discover: Bitter herbs combined with a very flattering sweetness (creme brulée) and cocoa powder.
F.: A big herbal crescendo, medical, ! very long traces of a very cheerful bitterness (radicchio).
Not having the pleasure to try the older bottling mentioned, I can state that this is a dram very worth trying.
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Springbank 10 years
|
|
Age |
10 years |
Alcohol |
57° |
Bottler |
Official |
Cask |
Bourbon |
Particularity |
Non chill filtered |
Springbank 12 years |
|
Age |
12 years |
Alcohol |
46° |
Bottler |
Official |
Particularity |
Non chill filtered |
The 12 years
old Springbank is amber, with a pleasant xeres and coconut nose.
It is rich and smooth in the palate, with a hint of bitter chocolate.
The taste is harmonious with a long pleasant and complex finish, unique in
the world of single malt.
(la Maison du
Whisky)
Just
like all other whiskies from this mythic Campbeltown distillery,
the 12 years old version is not chill filtered. The whisky is extremely
complex and balanced, with smoke and peat hints, but not too much.
A very great whisky, just for great occasions, because such a wonder
deserves to be appreciated. One of the best whiskies I ever tasted.
![]()
A second tasting completely confirmed the first one. This wonderful
whisky is unfortunately very difficult to find nowadays. a great
fresh and spicy whisky, remarkably complex, balanced and refined.
A real monument. What a whisky! What a distillery!
A pleasant mix of sherry and (discrete) coconut with a very slight
touch of citrus fruit (orange) characterizes a rather complex nose.
The same complexity in the palate, with however a bitter feeling,
probably due to the wood of the cask. Just like an older whisky.
The finish is lingering and pleasant, with also some slightly acid
hints and bitter woody touches.
Springbank 21 years |
|
Age |
21 years |
Alcohol |
46° |
Particularity |
Non chill filtered |
Bottler |
Official |
Springbank
|
|
Age |
12 years |
Alcohol |
54,6° |
Particularity |
Cask Strength Non chill filtered |
Bottler |
Official |
Cask |
Rum |
The nose reveals sweet perfumed and slightly fruity fragrances.
A hint of sea salt.
The taste confirms the nose, and a taste of red apples, pears and hedge fruits
is dominant.
The finish is spicy, mentholated.
Springbank
|
|
Age |
13 years |
Alcohol |
54,2° |
Particularity |
Cask Strength Non chill filtered |
Bottler |
Official |
Cask |
Port |
Springbank
|
|
Age |
12 years |
Alcohol |
58,5° |
Particularity |
Cask Strength Non chill filtered |
Bottler |
Official |
Cask |
Bourbon |
I
am definitely not a fan of wood finishes from mythic
distilleries whose traditional products are from the highest quality.
This wood finish, even if it gives a good result, does not give
the same happiness as a traditional bottling of Springbank. This
malt smells really nice, is complex, mixing malt and citrus fruits,
and the taste, dominated by the alcohol (this bottle has an alcohol
degree of more than 58%) is pleasant without being comparable with
other versions (in the tradition) Springbank uses to produce. The
finish is a little bit too short as well.
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The Bourbon finish is more discrete than others. But I immediately
detected the sherry, despite the announcements of the producer.
The bourbon brings some smoothness, but I still prefer the traditional
Springbank. The finish remains very short, but the quotation is
better than the first time.
![]()
The nose feels first some tingling's
due to the high degree of alcohol. But after a while, a nice complexity
appears, revealing the traditional Springbank coconut hints together
with some sweet pleasant touches. In the palate, a kind of roundness
with coconut hints mixed with some woody touches is rather nice.
A beautiful and rather long finish too.
![]()
The nose is merely marked by malt, a touch of smoke and hints of fruits with something like a cloud of coconut
smell above. The mouth is rather different, and the malty smoothness disappears and make room to some acid impression
and the alcohol is very present in the palate. This acidity is quite aggressive, not just like nice fruity acidity.
The finish is long and very marked by alcohol too, and the acidity dominating the mouth is dimming, leaving some
room for nice coconut hints. Some remains of the sweetness of the nose come back too. This whisky is not really
nicely balanced. The unbalance feeling between nose and mouth is rather unpleasant. A deception.
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A nice fruity nose, with pear or peach fragrances. Some dry cut grass as well (just before it becomes hay), some
acid notes and a touch of smoke on the background. Later some plum jam. Nice sensations. And later some discrete
coconut touches. The mouth is rather fruity too, lots of taste and freshness. Apple alcohol. Or more precisely
alcool and apples, as the alcohol impression dominates the mouth clearly. The finish is quite long, but merely
marked by the memory of alcohol rather than by the extension of the whisky taste. Later on it developes on fresh
fruit aromas, the same which already were present in the mouth and the nose.
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Springbank
|
|
Age |
12 years |
Alcohol |
46° |
Particularity |
Non chill filtered |
Bottler |
Official |
Longrow
|
|
Age |
10 years |
Alcohol |
46° |
Particularity |
Non chill filtered |
Bottler |
Official |
The colour is yellow gold. The nose is marked by peat and pine
resin.
The palate restitutes with freshness the peat and the salty and spicy hints.
The finish is long, and recalls peaty malted barley.
Hazelburn
|
|
Age |
8 years |
Alcohol |
46° |
Particularity |
Cask Strength Non chill filtered |
Bottler |
Official |
Springbank
|
|
Age |
12 years |
Alcohol |
46° |
Particularity |
Non chill filtered |
Bottler |
Signatory |
Springbank
|
|
Alcohol |
46° |
Bottler |
Jean Boyer |
Springbank
|
|
Alcohol |
54.2° |
Bottler |
Officiel |
Springbank
|
|
Alcohol |
55.2° |
Bottler |
Officiel |
Campbeltown was once the undisputed capital of Scotch whisky. The town is situated at the end of the Mull of Kintyre
peninsula, on the Western coast of Scotland, not far away from the Isle of Islay.
There is only one active distillery left (Springbank), another producing sporadically (Glen Scotia) and a new one
(Glengyle) in an area where there were more than 30 of them in the early 1900's.
Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Campbeltown area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow
| Last update:
Sunday, 20-Apr-2008 19:23:09 CEST
Wed 14 05 2008, 01:55 - 39 visiteurs au cours de la dernière heure et 3 visiteurs sur le site en ce moment. Copyright:Jean-Marie Putz (2003-2007) |
Whisky is an alcoholic drink. Let's prefer quality to quantity as the abuse of alcohol beverages can damage the health. Consuming alcoholic drinks during pregnancy, even in small quantities, can seriously affect the health of the child. Consumption of alcohol impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.