Springbank is one of the most highly sought-after whisky producers from the once-prolific Campbeltown region.
When Springbank was established on the site of a former illicit still by Archibald Mitchell in 1828, it became the 14th licenced distillery in Campbeltown.
As the region became the home of Scotch whisky production, the Mitchell family was quick to capitalise on the boom and built the Rieclachan, Drumore and Glengyle distilleries during the 19th century. Sadly all three were closed during the 1920s and ’30s. Glengyle was later resurrected by Archibald’s great-great grandson Hedley G Wright in 2000 but Rieclachan and Drumore remained lost forever.
The number of distilleries in Campbeltown continued to dwindle and today Springbank is one of only three that remain, with Glengyle and Glen Scotia.
Today, Springbank is a must-have among Scotch whisky collectors. Independent and distillery bottlings have fetched record-breaking sums at auction.
The distillery remains family owned and produces three single malts: Hazelburn (triple distilled), Longrow (double distilled) and Springbank (distilled 2.5 times). The three malts have distinct profiles, Hazelburn is unpeated, light and fruity; Longrow is a smoky, peated whisky; and Springbank is somewhere in between – lightly peated and full-bodied.
To this day, Springbank malts their own barley using traditional floor maltings. The Campbeltown distillery joins a select number of Scottish distilleries, including Highland Park and Laphroaig, who continue to perform this process in-house rather than outsource it. In addition to malting, Springbank also mill, mash, ferment, distil, fill, mature and bottle on site.
