Origin: Campbeltown (Scotland)
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 46%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: J & A Mitchell & Co Ltd.
Average price: € 50.00
Official website: springbank.scot
Vote: 84/100
The Campbeltown Loch is an inlet on the Kintyre Peninsula, named after the town of the same name on its shores, to which is dedicated a folk song that goes like this:
Oh! Campbeltown Loch, Ah wish ye were whisky!
Campbeltown Loch, Och Aye!
Campbeltown Loch, I wish ye were whisky!
Ah wid drink ye dry.
The name therefore turns out to be perfect for a blended containing only malts from Campbeltown, although in reality this was not always the case: it was originally a blended scotch containing 60% malts (from Springbank), with the rest composed of grains from other parts of Scotland. Produced by Springbank itself using also the highly peated Longrow version, it was available for purchase at the distillery and through a few other channels.
It wasn’t until 2022 that J&A Mitchell decided to radically revise recipe and label (graphically echoing the 21yo distributed in 2013), combining Springbank’s profiles (Longrow, Hazelburn and, of course, Springbank) with those of Glengyle (Kilkerran) and Glen Scotia, making it a malt-only blend and, most importantly, 100% from Campbeltown, somewhat like The Gauldrons in Douglas Laing’s Regional Malt series in which, however, the distilleries are not stated.
I wonder if they will revise the recipe as the new ones coming to town will become active?
Tasting notes
Brine and balsamic vinegar stand out on the nose, shortly paving the way for a rather unripe fruity (apple, banana, red fruits) and floral part, with brushstrokes of kerosene, peeled almonds, pink grapefruit and delicate puffs of peat, mineral and slightly smoky. A fresh and compact complex.
More distinct peat component on the palate, with smoke on entry framing a nicely oily body composed of spice (pepper, nutmeg, anise), fruit (cooked apple and pear, currants), licorice root, nuts and an underlying vegetal vein, suspended between floral and herbaceous. Prominent minerality along the length, with a pronounced saline part, leading toward wet rocks.
Medium-long finish of salt, vegetable smoke, mineral notes, red fruits, spices.
A blended that consistently encapsulates the profiles it wants to portray, perhaps lacking just a bit of Springbank, but overall it’s rich and varied enough to be drinkable with pleasure. A bit of an old style profile, but it is definitely a plus.