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Springbank Cambeltown :
Cask used are normaly : refill whisky, ex-sherry and bourbon cask's.
The distillery uses floor malting. They have 1 wash still and 2 spirits stills.
From the book : Malt Whisky - A contemporary Guide - By Mr. Graham Moore :
Springbank Distillery is in many ways unique.
It is the only distillery which makes two completely different whiskies in the same stills
(other distilleries have made two malts on the same premises but in different apparatus, for instance Inverleven).
It is the only distillery whose total malt requirements are met by its own floor maltings.
It is the only distillery in Scotland built before the mid-nineteenth century which is still in the hands of the oreginal founder's family,
and it is the only malt distillery which is not a member of the Malt Distillers' Association of Scotland.
Sadly, whilst Glen Scotia remains closed, it is also Campbeltown's only remaining working distillery.
Springbank was founded in 1828, the forteenth of the 34 known distilleries to be built in Campbeltown.
It was built by the Reid family who were in-laws of the present owners.
The Reids found themselves in financial trouble and were bought out by the Mitchells in 1837.
During the first year's trading the ledger records the sale of 112 gallons of whisky at 8s 8d : \L\13p)
per gallon to a certain John Walker of Kilmarnock, who was later to become one of the biggest names in the business.
The distillery stands near one of the best-known local landmarks, the prominent Longrow Church.
It retains not only the original buildings but also encompasses parts of five of the old Campbeltown distilleries :
Argyll, Longrow, Rieclachan, Springside and Union.
A unique and rather strange system of distillation is used which prompted one writer to declare
(incorrectly) that Springbank is triple distilled, in the manner of some Lowland malts.
The low wines are diveded into two portions, one of which is distilled into feints by the second still before the whole batch is fed to the third still for final distillation.
This use of an intermediata, or doubling, still maintains the strength of the spirit charge and is seen as a major factor in contributing to Springbank's mellowness.
The manager describes it as distilling 'two and a half times'.
Springbank's second product, Longrow, is distilled conventionally in two of the stills and uses malt which is entirely peat kilned,
giving it a heeavier, almost Islay quality.
The wash still is heated by oil fire and steam coil simultaneously,
the direct firing giving it a 'toasted' character which would not be present with straightforward steamcoil heating.
The distillery is one of only two in Scotland (the other being Glenfiddich) which bottle on site,
and it prides itself on not chill-filtring its whisky at the bottling stage.
Springbank itself is bottled at many different ages, the older ones in particular -
21, 25 nad 30 years old - now beginning to make their mark, especially in the important Japanese market.
This whisky is lightly peated, allowing the briny, almost kippery taste to come through.
A unique whisky from a unique distillery.
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