🥃 Springbank
Springbank is a family distillery and single malt brand in Campbeltown; licensed in 1828; its own malting floors; Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn; owned by J & A Mitchell.
Springbank is a family distillery and single malt Scotch whisky brand in Campbeltown, on the Kintyre peninsula, and the home of three very different malts: Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn. The licence was issued in 1828, and today it is owned by the Mitchell family through J & A Mitchell. Whiskypedia writes that it is the only distillery in Scotland that malts, distils, matures and bottles its whisky on one site.
History. According to Whiskypedia, William Reid took the licence in 1828, and in 1837 he sold it to his brothers-in-law, John and William Mitchell. The distillery has stayed in the family ever since; J & A Mitchell as a company has existed since 1897. The distillery's own malting floors were closed in 1960 and reopened in 1992, so barley is once again malted on site today.
How it is made. There are three stills, one of which, the wash still, is fired directly. Springbank is distilled "two and a half" times, Hazelburn three times and Longrow twice. Springbank is lightly peated at 8–10 ppm, Longrow heavily at about 50 ppm, and Hazelburn is unpeated. The water comes from Crosshill Loch, and the capacity is 0.75 million litres of alcohol a year.
The range. Three brands: Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn; in 1999 Dha Mhile was launched, which Whiskypedia calls the world's first organic single malt whisky.
Why this matters to you. The name "Campbeltown" on Scotch has been protected since 2009: the whisky must be distilled in the South Kintyre area. The three brands from one distillery are very different in peat and distillation, so check the full name. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1828 (licence of William Reid); the Mitchells from 1837; J & A Mitchell from 1897 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Campbeltown) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | barley from its own malting floors, Springbank 8–10 ppm, Longrow about 50 ppm; water from Crosshill Loch |
| Distillation method | Springbank "two and a half" times, Longrow twice, Hazelburn three times; 3 copper stills |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV by law |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Springbank → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Malting
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Campbeltown whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Scapa, 🥃 Scapa, 🥃 Strathisla, 🥃 Strathisla, 🥃 Glen Scotia, 🥃 Glen Scotia, 🥃 Glengyle, 🥃 Maltster
Frequently asked questions
Is Springbank really distilled two and a half times?
Yes. According to Difford's Guide that is how Springbank is made, while Hazelburn is distilled three times and Longrow twice.
Who owns Springbank in Scotland today?
The Mitchell family, through J & A Mitchell, which also owns the Glengyle distillery.
Does Springbank malt its own barley?
Yes. Its own malting floors closed in 1960 and reopened in 1992, and Difford's Guide calls it the only Scottish distillery malting all the barley it needs.
What does Campbeltown on the label mean in UK law?
A protected region since 2009: the name may only be used on whisky distilled in South Kintyre.
What does 80 proof mean on a US bottle of Springbank?
It is the same as 40% ABV, the legal minimum for Scotch.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
Similar
🥃 Glengyle · 🥃 Knockdhu · 🥃 Abhainn Dearg · 🥃 Allt-a-Bhainne · 🥃 Teaninich · 🥃 Glenglassaugh
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Springbank (1828 licence, Mitchell family, three stills, floor maltings, Longrow 50 ppm, Hazelburn, Dha Mhile 1999)
- Difford's Guide: Springbank Distillery (J&A Mitchell & Co Ltd; 1828; family-owned; two-and-a-half distillation; only Scottish distillery to floor malt all its barley; Springbank, Hazelburn, Longrow)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)