Springbank Distillery

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The logo of Springbank Distillers.

Springbank Distillery is one of the last surviving producers of Campbeltown Single Malts. The distillery, located on the southern Kintyre peninsula, produces three distinct types of single malt Scotch whisky (the only two other distilleries in Scotland to produce more than one are Loch Lomond Distillery and Tobermory).

Springbank Single Malt is the most popular variety. Its standard bottling is a 10 year old, distilled two and a half times, and is not chill-filtered, nor does it have colour added. Distilling whisky two and a half times is quite unique for Springbank Single Malt, it means that during the distillation process some of the low wines are collected before the second distillation, and then mixed back into the feints for another distillation, this means that some parts of the spirit has been through distillation twice and some parts three times. The spirit is then aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, although Springbank is experimenting with rum casks as well. The standard 10 year old bottling is available at 46% volume, but a 100° proof bottling (at 57% volume) is also available. They also produce a somewhat darker 15 year old. A 21 year old variety of Springbank exists, but is increasingly rare.
Longrow Single Malt is a very heavy and peaty whisky, believed to be one of the peatiest malts available, having one of the highest phenol contents. The standard Longrow is also a ten year old, matured in ex-bourbon casks, while a Sherrywood 10 year old is also available. Both are quite rare. There is also an experimental tokaji-cask edition available, which has been deemed whisky-blasphemy by some conservative friends of Longrow.
Hazelburn Single Malt, the newest variety, was first distilled in 1997 and is expected to be bottled as 10yo in 2007. A small 8yo bottling was made, but is very rare. Hazelburn is a triple distilled, non-peated whisky, named for another now-defunct Campbeltown distillery.

Springbank is the only remaining distillery in Scotland to contain every step in the whisky making process on premises. While a few others still maintain the first step in the process, the malting of barley (which is becoming more rare), Springbank also bottles their own whisky. The distillery is also one of the most inactive, having stills operating less than a third of the time.

Springbank is one of the few remaining family owned distilleries. Perhaps it is for this reason that nearly all of its whisky is sold as a single malt, with little of it finding its way into blends. Most blends are produced by larger conglomerates who tend to use the single malts from the distilleries that they own in their blends. Springbank produces two of its own blends, 5 year old Campbeltown Loch, and Mitchell's 12 year old.

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