Springbank 10 Year Old

Springbank distillery was established in 1828 by the Reid family and is located on the southern Kintyre peninsula. In 1837 it was sold to John and William Mitchell, in-laws of the Reids. In 1897 the distillery was incorporated as J. & A. Mitchell & Company Ltd who still are the owners. The distillery was closed on a number of occasions during its history, such as during both World Wars, between 1926 and 1933, as well as most of the time between 1979 and 1989. In 1992, Springbank decided to restore its floor maltings that had been ceased in 1960. It remains the only distillery in Scotland where the entire process is conducted on site from floor malting to bottling. The current 10-year old expression was first launched in 2000 and is based on a mixture of both bourbon and sherry cask matured whisky.

The nose is lightly smoky at first, then turns quite fruity with pears and apples coming to the fore. Later on there is salt and a hint of lemon.

The palate is medium-bodied, oily and smoky. There are now flavours of black pepper, nuts, and malted barley, followed by a touch of brine. The salty element is back, accompanied by vanilla and cinnamon.

The finish is long and warming. Flavours of brine and vanilla sweetness round this off.

This is an absolutely cracking malt that ticked all the right boxes with me. I liked all its facets: the superbly balanced fruity and smoky nose, the oily and salty palate, as well as the long and sweet finish. A great piece of craftsmanship and a brilliant introduction to the modern Springbank core range!

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