Springbank distillery information
On the southern part of the peninsula of Kintyre, we find the Springbank distillery in the city (and whisky region) of Campbeltown. Founded by John and William Mitchell in 1828 on the site of an illicit still (ran by Archibald Mitchell), the distillery prides itself on using traditional methods throughout its production process, with every step of the whisky production (malting, distilling, bottling and maturing) taking place on-site, and the whisky is non-chill filtered and without any caramel addition.
No less than three different brands of whisky are produced at the distillery: Springbank, Longrow, and Hazelburn. They are all produced in the same stills, but using different distillation cycles.
- Named after a now defunct distillery, Longrow uses the regular two-distillation cycle, where the wash is distilled in the wash still, followed by a second round that sees the low wines distilled further in the spirit still. It is also heavily peated.
- The oldest of the brands produced at the distillery,Springbank has perhaps the most curious distillation cycle, as it’s distilled 2.5 times. This means that some of the low wines from the first distillation are collected and again distilled with the feints. Thus, part of the end product has been distilled twice, others 3 times, causing it to be called a 2.5 time distillation cycle. It is lightly peated. Springbank has been known for experimenting with different types of casks.
- Finally, Hazelburn, which like Longrow, is named after a former distillery, uses a triple-distillation process, and is non-peated.
The distillery is in the hands of an independent family, rather than owned by a major whisky corporation. It is, in fact, owned by descendants of the same Mitchell family that founded it all those years ago, making it the oldest independently owned distillery in Scotland.
Springbank Whiskies
Springbank
- 10 Year Old, matured in Bourbon and Sherry casks
- 12 Year Old, Calvados wood finish
- 12 Year Old, Cask strength
- 15 Year Old, matured only in Sherry casks
- 18 Year Old, like the 10 Year Old, matured in Bourbon and Sherry casks
- Springbank CV. A no age statement whisky, which has matured in a variety of different cask types and sizes
Longrow
- Longrow; A no age statement whisky, matured in a combination of Sherry and Bourbon casks.
- 14 Year Old, matured in Sherry casks
- 18 Year Old
Hazelburn
- 8 Year Old, matured in a combination of Bourbon and Sherry casks
- 12 Year Old, matured in Sherry casks
- Hazelburn CV. A no age statement whisky, matured in a combination of Bourbon and Sherry casks
The distillery also sells blended whiskies from their own produce:
- Campbeltown Loch. Aged for 5 years, this is a blend of Springbank and Longrow.
- Mitchell’s Glengyle (a reference to the Glengyle distillery, which is also owned by the Mitchells).
- Machrihanish Niblick, a blend of Springbank and Longrow with grain from Girvan.
Distillery info:
|
Detail
|
Information
|
|---|---|
| Name | Springbank |
| Region | Campbeltown |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1828 |
| Water source | Crosshill Loch |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | J&A Mitchell & Co Ltd |
| Address | Springbank Distillers Ltd 9 Bolgam Street Campbeltown Argyll, PA28 6HZ +44 (0) 1586 552009 |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.springbank.scot/ |
| https://www.twitter.com/Springbank1828 | |
| https://www.facebook.com/officialspringbankwhisky | |
| Community | The Springbank Society |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
|
Component
|
Capacity
|
Quantity
|
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 3.5 tonnes | 1 |
| Washback | 21,000 litres | 5 |
| Wash still | 10,500 litres | 1 |
| Spirit Still | 6,850 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 750,000 (Actual production level 125,000) |
Images courtesy of the Springbank distillery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Springbank, founded in 1828 by John and William Mitchell on the site of an illicit still run by Archibald Mitchell in Campbeltown, carries out every step of production, malting, distilling, bottling and maturing, entirely on site, following traditional methods throughout. Its whisky is non-chill filtered and has no added caramel colouring.
Springbank distillery produces three distinct brands, Springbank, Longrow, and Hazelburn, all from the same stills but using different distillation cycles. Longrow uses a regular two-distillation cycle and is heavily peated. Springbank, the oldest of the three, uses an unusual 2.5-times distillation cycle, where some low wines from the first distillation are redistilled together with the feints, meaning part of the final spirit has been distilled twice and part three times; it’s lightly peated. Hazelburn uses a full triple-distillation process and is unpeated.
Both Longrow and Hazelburn take their names from earlier, now-defunct Campbeltown distilleries, reviving those names for two of Springbank’s own distinct whisky styles.
Yes. Springbank remains in the hands of an independent family rather than a major whisky corporation, owned by descendants of the same Mitchell family that founded it, making it the oldest independently owned distillery in Scotland.
The Springbank range includes a 10 Year Old matured in Bourbon and Sherry casks, a 12 Year Old Calvados wood finish, a 12 Year Old Cask Strength, a 15 Year Old matured only in Sherry casks, an 18 Year Old also matured in Bourbon and Sherry casks, and Springbank CV, a no-age-statement whisky matured across a variety of cask types and sizes.
The Longrow range includes a no-age-statement expression matured in a combination of Sherry and Bourbon casks, a 14 Year Old matured in Sherry casks, and an 18 Year Old.
The Hazelburn range includes an 8 Year Old matured in a combination of Bourbon and Sherry casks, a 12 Year Old matured in Sherry casks, and Hazelburn CV, a no-age-statement whisky also matured in a combination of Bourbon and Sherry casks.
Yes. The distillery sells three blends from its own produce: Campbeltown Loch, a 5-year-old blend of Springbank and Longrow; Mitchell’s Glengyle, a reference to the Glengyle distillery, also owned by the Mitchells; and Machrihanish Niblick, a blend of Springbank and Longrow with grain whisky from Girvan.
Yes, Springbank has a visitor centre.