A Visit From Springbank

The full line-up

We were fortunate to have a bonus tasting in August, a rare additional meeting on a Tuesday night.

Campbeltown Loch

The reason: a special visit from one of the best known names in Scotch whisky, Springbank.

Andrew Wallace from the distillery joined us all the way from Campbeltown, weighed down with seven bottles of good stuff that we were all too happy to relieve him of.

He started us off with a blend, Campbeltown Loch. Named for the old Andy Stewart song (he of the White Heather Club: ask your parents, or probably grandparents), this blended malt is a new iteration of a brand which has been on shelves for decades.

Hazelburn 10yo

Andrew explained it's now produced to a relatively new recipe, with five and six-year-old liquid, with all single malts produced in Campbeltown represented (including Springbank's other brands Longrow and Hazelburn, as well as those from the town's other distilleries, Glen Scotia and the Springbank-owned Glengyle). It was quite light when first reintroduced to the market, apparently, but has more sherried stuff in it now hence a darker colour.

We felt we still got more influence from the ex-bourbon whisky though. A bit dry or salty, quite breakfasty with some cereal flavours as well. The RRP is £42 and it comes in at 46%.

Springbank 18yo

Onto Hazelburn next and a 10-year-old described as something of an 'entry level' dram for the brand. Unpeated and triple distilled, this expression was again 46%.

Club members thought this was light, creamy and even tropical. Dried tropical fruits was one suggestion for the palate, with hints of the likes of mango and apricot. It costs £55.

The first bottling of Springbank itself for the evening was whisky number three. At one time, not all that long ago, Springbanks were a regular sight on the shelves of whisky shops everywhere, but having become flavour of the month during and after Covid, they are now rather harder to come by.

Springbank 5yo

The one in the purple label was an 18-year-old, part of a limited annual release at this age. This particular version is due out fairly soon, so we were getting a welcome preview. 

Even though just 5% of the casks used here were ex-rum, we all felt the rum came through the strongest on the palate. It really did taste very lovely, although at £120 some felt the earlier bottles we'd already had offered better value overall. It was again 46%.

Springbank also has a five-year-old on the market, called 100 Proof, and it was up next. At one time distilleries were very reluctant to put a number on the front of their bottles if it was below 10, but with the similarly in-demand Ardbeg also offering a 5yo that seems to be changing.

Springbank 10yo

This particular expression was from the first batch of these, back in August 2025. Andrew told us the availability of more liquid was part of a decision some years ago to expand production, from which the distillery is starting to reap the rewards. This cask strength dram, at 57.1%, hit a lot of the classic Springbank notes: citrus with a hint of peat too. It's £48.

After a half-time break when we could refill our beer glasses downstairs at the Seven Oaks, Andrew picked up with three more drams for us.

Whisky five was the Springbank 10yo, a vatting cask from its manzanilla sherry series. Not out yet, hence the handwritten sticker on the label, this is nice and strong again at 56.2%.

Longrow peated

A bit fiery for some perhaps. We got notes of saltiness, as well as more citrus and a general dryness. A bit harsh, some drinkers felt, or even burny, but that's just what the doctor ordered for others. This will be £95 if you can get it.

Back to Longrow for whisky six and a no age statement peated expression, although again Andrew said the whisky inside the bottle was five to six years old.

A mixture of bourbon and sherry cask, mixed together at the end, this was very lightly peated only and had a very nice nose. Milder than we had expected, in fact. Although originally aimed at imitating Islay whiskies, the sort of peat you get from Springbank is less coastal, more smoky and campfire-y. It's 46% and is available for about £45.

Longrow 10yo

To finish a bit more from Longrow, and a 10-year-old distillery exclusive, of the sort made available daily in its famous 'cage'. This was fully matured in fresh sherry, giving us a "sweet and peat" combination that is often irresistible.

"This is spectacular really" someone offered. Delicious and beautifully balanced, this was well worth every penny of the £72 and a bit more. The ABV was 55.4%. It's enough to make you want to drive all the way to Campbeltown in the hope of picking up something just as good.

That brought us to the dram of the night voting, and as good as that closer was, there was a clear winner: whisky five, the Springbank 10yo, picked up a remarkable 19 votes. There were seven for the Longrow 10yo, with the peated Longrow in third.

Thanks to all club members and those on the waiting list for attending, and to everyone at the Seven Oaks for looking after us as ever, but special thanks to Andrew for fitting us in to his busy schedule, taking the wonders of Springbank out on the road.

We drank all of these