Springbank
Translation: shore of the source
Region: Campbeltown
Three whiskeys, one family and a lot, a lot of tradition
Springbank is extraordinary in many ways.
It is - in addition to Glen Scotia - one of only two surviving distilleries of the formerly flourishing Campbeltown whiskey region. The distillery has been in family ownership since its founding. Springbank is also the only distillery with its own bottling line as well as its own Maltings. Every step of the production is traditionally carried out here, with an extraordinary amount of manual labor.
And: From the house Springbank come three times.
In addition to the actual Springbank, which is made of slightly peated malt, there is still the heavily peated Longrow and the Hazelburn, which is completely dispensed with peat. Longrow and Hazelburn are named after long-closed neighbor distilleries whose memory is to be preserved in this way. A very tasty form of memory.
A little history
The distillery was founded in 1828 by the Reid family on a site owned by their son-in-law, Archibald Mitchell.
In 1837, the Mitchells officially took over the distillery, and in 1897 the J. & A. Mitchell Co Ltd was founded - which is still the owner of the distillery.
In the years of American prohibition from 1920, many of the once-numerous Campbeltown distilleries died on the Kintyre Peninsula. Also Springbank had to stop production from 1926 to 1933.
In 1985, Springbank first released a 10-year-old, heavily peaty malt named Longrow. The Longrow has since been produced at most once a year in small quantities
1997 ran the first Hazelburn from the stills.
Between September 2008 and early 2009, no Sprinbank was produced due to the high raw material prices.
The distillery is today run by Hedley G. Wright - the great-great-great-grandson of Archibald Mitchell.
What do I actually have in the glass?
All three malts of the Springbank distillery are complex and have clear maritime notes. The "two and a half times" distilled Springbank (part of the first run is burned twice) is slightly smoky, full and warm with quite oily body. The Longrow, burnt twice, is reminiscent of the Malts of Islay with its massive peatiness. The triple burned Hazelburn is dry, finer and more subtle.
3 reasons to love Springbank
1) Because here the Springbank is made.
2) Because here the Longrow is made.
3) Because here the Hazelburn is made.
The one drama for the lonely island
What can one say, at a legendary distillery producing so many great malts? If you like it smoky, you will surely find your luck at the 18-year-old Longrow. The 15-year-old in Cask Strength gives the "real" Springbank character well again.
numbers and facts
Address: Well Close, Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6ET
Founded: 1828 by the family Reid
Status: active
Owner: J. & A. Mitchell Co Ltd
Capacity: the data differ between 750,000 and 2,000,000 liters
1 wash stills (20,000 l)
2 spirit stills (12,274 l)
Water: Crosshills hole
Visitor Center: Visitors are welcome
Telephone: +44 (0) 1586/551710
Website: www.springbankdistillers.com
