KILKERRAN - 12 ans - 46%
Springbank is one of just two remaining distilleries in the Campbeltown region on the Kintyre Peninsula of southwest Scotland. It produces single malt whisky under three different labels in distinct styles; Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn.
Springbank was established in 1828 by Archibald and Hugh Mitchell, becoming the 14th licensed distillery in Campeltown – by 1934 only Springbank and Glen Scotia remained. It remains under the ownership of direct descendents of the founders.
The distillery is the only one in Scotland to carry out all of its production on-site, including traditional floor malting of barley, and bottling. This control of processes helps the distillery to manage three distinct styles, all of which are influenced by oak choice and the local climate.
The Springbank releases use a mix of peat-dried and air-dried malts and is distilled two and a half times, compared with three times for Hazelburn and twice for Longmorn.
Heavily peated versions are released under the Longrow brand. The first examples were distilled in 1973 as an attempt to prove that Islay-style single malts could be produced on the mainland.
Hazelburn, bottled since 2005, is triple-distilled using air-dried malt only. The name references another Campbeltown distillery, formerly the largest in the town, which operated between 1825 and 1925, with Mitchell & Co. as its owners from 1920.
In addition Springbank's parent company JA Mitchell & Sons also re-opened the Glengyle distillery in 2004, and single malts are being produced under the Kilkerran brand. The independent bottler Cadenhead's is also part of the group.
