Origin: Campbeltown (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 57.1%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon 1st fill
Chillifiltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: J& A Mitchell & Co Ltd.
Average price: € 75.00
Official website: springbank.scot
It had been a long time since Springbank updated its core range, and at the end of 2025, they decided to add a new stable bottling to their lineup.
Expected as a quarterly release, this five-year-old is the result of the recent increase in production by the small craft distillery, giving it a bit of breathing room with this reduced maturation that reminds me of the arrival of Wee Beastie for Ardbeg, although its name actually alludes to a release from the early 2000s, the Springbank 10yo 100 proof, and a similar version made for Longrow.
What once seemed too young an age to be stated on the bottle has now been legitimized since the days of Ardbeg: Ardnahoe, Meikle Tòir, Lochlea… several bottlings proudly (or unashamedly) feature that 5 on the label.
Obviously, it becomes a purely pricing matter, reasoning about the sense of paying almost the same amount for a bottling that has matured twice as long, but here the alcohol content and the casks used come into play, tipping the scales. In fact, this bottling sold out very quickly.
As always, aside from the marketing and economic considerations, what matters is how much ends up in the glass and what it means for the one who drinks it.
Tasting Notes
Bring your nose to the glass and you find yourself walking on the malting floor of the distillery, with that mix of damp cereal, concrete, and sea breeze that takes you back to Campbeltown. For those who haven’t been there, the impression of barley and wet rocks is the first to emerge, followed closely by the hydrocarbons from a nearby diesel pump. Soon after, the sweetness of fruits (apple, pineapple, peach, dried apricot), vanilla, and marzipan with bread wafer, nuts (walnuts, almonds), and a slight vegetal vein with balsamic aspirations and menthol notes arrive. Timid and light smoke. Old style.
On the palate, the smoke slightly raises its head, not taking center stage but instead serving as a backdrop to the fruit and pastry that dominate the flavors, with special mention given to citrus touches and a particularly prominent pastry cream. The sip is oily and full, punctuated by spices (black pepper, cinnamon, ginger) and mineral, dry tones that, combined with coastal notes (the idea of rocks by the sea returns), lead to significant salivation. The vegetal vein is confirmed, with menthol inflections and dry grass in the field that, when combined with coastal elements, catapult you back to Campbeltown.
Finale quite long and mentholated, with smoke enveloping fruit, citrus, light spices, mineral and herbal notes, salt.
Review: So much richness in such a young whisky that reconciles you (if there was ever a need) with the agricultural and coastal soul of Springbank, brought back to its rawest and most natural essence, without compromises or tricks. The quarterly cadence raises hopes of it being more easily available in the future, as it is a worthy companion to the ten-year-old.
Vote: 88/100