There's a smell in Campbeltown old whisky hands still call "the reek" - a mix of salt air, wet barley and oil from copper stills that have been running since 1828. Springbank is where that smell never left, and where every drop is still made under one roof, from grain to bottle.
Expert's description
Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength 2026 is a Single Campbeltown Malt Scotch Whisky, fully matured in bourbon casks and bottled at cask strength at 56.6%.
This release is Batch 29 in Springbank's popular 12-year-old cask strength series, which has been released twice a year since 2010. Where earlier batches often carried a sherry influence, this one is matured entirely in bourbon casks - a deliberate choice that lets the grain, the salt and the light smoke speak for themselves without any sweetness from sherry wood.
The barley is malted on Springbank's own malting floors, distilled two-and-a-half times on the distillery's old-fashioned copper stills, and matured on site in Campbeltown. The whisky is neither chill-filtered nor coloured, so what's in the glass is exactly what came out of the cask.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Citrus peel and sea salt meet dried banana and granola, with a touch of honey and a whisper of smoke waiting in the background.
Palate
Grapefruit and orange peel roll across the palate alongside white marshmallow and toffee, before black pepper and a touch of chilli take over.
Finish
Cocoa, glazed cherries and salted pretzels linger long, with a dry, ashy smoke the last thing to fade.
Specifications
Name: Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength 2026
Distillery: Springbank
Region/Country: Campbeltown, Scotland
Type: Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 56.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: 2.5 times distilled
Bottled: 2026
Edition: Batch 29
Flavour Profile
Lightly peated · Salty and coastal · Fruity · Spicy
Investment Potential
Medium. Springbank has ranked among Scotland's most sought-after distilleries for years, and its twice-yearly cask strength batches are typically snapped up shortly after release. This batch, matured entirely in bourbon casks, stands apart from - and for some collectors is more interesting than - the sherry-led editions.
Did You Know?
Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn - the distillery's three different whisky styles - are all made on exactly the same four stills. It's not three distilleries, just one, distilling, maturing and bottling differently depending on which style is up next.
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