The distillery’s story
The Springbank distilley is located on the Kintyre Peninsula, which is on the west Highland coast, in the town of Campbeltown. It is the oldest distillery left in an area of Scotland that supported over 30 distilleries as recently as a century ago. Springbank is small (their maximum production capacity is only 500,000 litres per year) but their whiskies are highly regarded around the world. It is also Scotland’s oldest family owned distillery, having been continuously owned within the same family since it was established in 1828.
Springbank is also one of the only distilleries in Scotland to produce three different styles of single malts – Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn (the final two being named after former distilleries in Campbeltown). The production is split between the three throughout the year with 80% of the time going to Springbank (lightly peated style), 10% to Longrow (heavily peated) and 10% to Hazelburn (non-peated and triple distilled). Regular bottlings of Springbank are rationed due to popular demand, while Longrow and Hazelburn are often released annually as small batch or single cask bottlings.
Springbank’s story
Whiskies produced as Springbank single malts are lightly peated (around 15ppm) and are distilled twice. This style is produced for most of the year and is very popular amongst whisky drinkers and collectors. The small production capacity per year and increased sales has created a problem with demand outstripping what is available. This has made availability sporadic and driven prices up.
Longrow’s story
Longrow was first produced in 1973 as an experiment to see if an Islay-style heavily peated whisky could be produced on mainland Scotland. Longrow is double distilled and peated to around 55ppm. It proved so popular that regular distillation has occured since 1992 for approximately one month of each year. With respect to the area’s heritage, Longrow is named after one of the old Campbeltown distilleries.
Hazelburn’s story
Hazelburn was first distilled in 1997 and first released as a single malt in 2005. It is completely unpeated and distilled three times, one of the only Scottish whiskies to experience a third distillation – this makes a lighter, smoother whisky similar to the Irish style. Only a limited number of bottles are released each year. Like Longrow, Hazelburn is named after one of the long defunct Campbeltown distilleries. Some of Hazelburn’s buildings remain and can be seen on a visit to the town.
Springbank’s history
Springbank was established in 1828 by the Reid family, who were in-laws of the Mitchells. Their ownership lasted just over a decade before they encountered financial problems. John and William Mitchell waded in to help their in-laws and purchased Springbank. J. & A. Mitchell Co. Ltd. was founded in 1897 and remain as owners today with the sixth generation at the helm.
The 20th century saw some difficult times for Springbank, especially as the Campbeltown whisky industry collapsed around it. This was due to a fatal combination of situations that effected the town and its distilleries – two World Wars, Prohibition in America and the failed building of a branch line that would have linked Campbeltown and the Kintyre Peninsula to the main line railway network. Springbank survived but did not remain unscathed – it was closed between 1926 and 1933, and again between 1979 and 1987.
The traditional floor maltings have been in operation for the majority of Springbank’s history, bar a period between 1960 and 1992. It is one of just a handful in Scotland that maintains this practice and the only one that produces all of its own malted barley for production. Others produce only a percentage of their full requirement. Owners J. & A. Mitchell also own the Glengyle distillery in Campbeltown and Cadenhead’s, the independent bottling company.
- How to pronounce Springbank? spring-bank
- Country: Scotland
- Region: Campbeltown
- Founded: 1828
- Current owners: J&A Mitchell
- Production capacity per year: 500,000 litres
- Mash tun: 3.5 ton cast iron
- Washbacks: 6
- Stills: 3
- Visitor centre: Yes
Springbank Distillers Ltd
Well Close, Campbeltown
Argyll
PA28 6EX
tel – +44(0)1586 551710
www.springbank.scot
Did you know?
Springbank is unusual, almost unique, by undertaking every stage of the production process – from the malting of the barley right through to bottling – at the distillery using traditional techniques. Springbank is currently the only distillery in Scotland to malt 100% of its barley using traditional floor malting methods. Other similarly traditional production techniques they use include wooden washbacks used for fermentation, a worm tub cooling system, and a direct-fired stills.
Springbank – Longrow – Hazelburn