Springbank 12 Year Old Bot.1980s

Firstly, Springbank 12 Year Old at 100 Proof (57%) – or Springbank 12-100 as they’re called among connoisseurs – is considered to be one of the benchmark bottlings from this distillery. The ones from the 1990s are legendary, but the older versions are not far behind. Many versions exist with different colours and different levels of greatness.

Further, I believe the ones with the white S below the name are considere to be older and slightly better, but today we’re merely trying the one with the S above. Bottled for Société Auxil in France in the mid to late 1980s. It’s a rather light vatting I’d say – some are certainly lighter, but there are also darker versions.

Rectification: the bottle I tried had a highly deteriorated label. I tried to find a better illustration to go with this post but obviously it’s flawed. The actual bottle was definitely 75 cl and seemed to have a handwritten strength. Here’s a photo.

Springbank 12 yo (57%, OB for Soc. Auxil, 75 cl, 1980s)

Nose: a lot of resinous notes at first. Mastic, greasy iron tools, olive oil, walnuts and sheep wool. A few drops of Manzanilla Pasada. After a little while it starts showing fruity notes: quinces, lime peel, old Calvados and yellow raisins. Hints of eucalyptus, cinnamon, gorse, tiger balm… With more time in the glass it even moves towards aged Sauternes, with dried fruits and a whiff of marzipan. Very complex. Springbank 12 Year Old Bot.1980s

Mouth: very powerful and wonderfully oily, almost creamy. Waxed papers, eucalyptus candle wax, hessian and hints of petrol. Preserved lemons, then back to olive brine and gentian. Liquorice. Hints of bitter oranges. Very direct peat, with just a hint of smoke in the background, as well as canvas and many salty notes. An exquisite combination of sharp power and smoother warmth at the same time.

Finish: long, on warm ashes, newspaper ink, more hessian and medicinal notes. The dried fruits make a comeback in the very end, quite marvellous.

A very pure Springbank with little sherry influence. Just the coastal, mineral Campbeltown character, with excellent fruity notes and a touch of OBE effect. This is a good day.

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. Springbank 12 Year Old Bot.1980s

Springbank is one of only two distilleries in Scotland to perform every step in the whisky making process, from malting the barley to bottling the spirit, on same premises: the other is Kilchoman Distillery who also grow their own barley. 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.

Three variants of single malt are produced from its distillery by tweaking the production process at various stages;

Springbank Single Malt is the most popular variety, Longrow Single Malt is a highly-peated, double-distilled whisky and Hazelburn Single Malt, the newest variety.