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Auction: SC002 - Pouring Gold For A Platinum Year - Spink in association with Cask 88: Whisky - e-Auction
Lot: 2

Springbank 1996

Distillery: Springbank
Region: Campbeltown
Age: 25 years
Distillation Date: 25th October 1996
Cask type: First Fill Sherry
Peated?: Yes
Re-gauge ABV: 49.2%
Re-gauged Litres of Alcohol (RLA): 62.0 litres
New bulk litres: 125.5 litres
Re-gauge Date: 17th May 2022
Bottles: 180
Cask Number: 567
Stored at Springbank distillery

First Fill Sherry Cask Filled in an Era of Modernisation for the Monarchy, from a Distillery of Tradition

Cask description

The Wood

In recent years, Springbank have experimented with several different cask maturation and finishes, including rum, madeira and red wine. This is in stark contrast to the trend over a quarter of a century ago when this cask was filled. There was far less experimentation and the vast majority of casks being filled would have been ex-bourbon or 2nd and 3rd fill sherry. It is therefore unusual to see this first fill, bursting with flavour cask with a strong re-gauge just under 50% from this period.

The Spirit

Springbank's spirit is somewhat of an anomaly: where most distillers and distilleries are striving for clinical consistency and repeatability, Springbank does the opposite. Romanticism, Traditionalism, or Stubbornness, this attitude has seen Springbank win loyalty and following. Three different styles of spirit are produced at the distillery: Hazelburn, which is triple distilled and unpeated; Springbank, which is double distilled and lightly peated, and finally Longrow, which is 2.5 times distilled and heavily peated. Despite the immense effort of this, especially considering their small capacity, Springbank continues to release all three expressions, offering a variety of drams that sets them apart from the rest.

The Masters

Springbank is the only Scottish distillery to complete 100% of the production process on site, with human involvement at each and every stage. The traditional methods employed by Springbank do not come at the cost of innovation; three years after this cask was filled in 1999 the world's first organic single malt was launched: 'Dha Mhile' meaning 2000 in Gaelic, as a celebration of the millennium.

The History

Campbeltown's whisky region status has gone through a turbulent history. Since the start of the 20th century, when over 50 distilleries were in operation, whisky production has been on the decline in Campbeltown. Prohibition and World Wars saw this figure drop to just two operational distilleries by the early 2000s. When presented with the prospect of joining either the Highlands or the Lowlands, or losing regional status, Springbank chose option three and opened another distillery, Glengyle. Operational for approximately 6 weeks of the year, this project allows Campbeltown to remain a whisky region, another example of Springbank's dedication to the provenance of the industry and Campbeltown.

Tasting Notes

Nose - Plum frangipane in shortcrust pastry, prunes and dates, rye bread, eucalyptus, a rich nuttiness that betrays the age of this well-matured liquid.

Palate - Less sweet than imagined. Cherry tobacco, Bitter chocolate, kumquats. Chartreuse. Tannins.

Finish - Long and complex: this is a whisky that is showing its age, and the first fill Oloroso sherry cask is leaving a lasting impression.


The 1990s

A time of modernisation for many, HM The Queen included. In the 90s, the Crown began to make voluntary payments in line with income and capital gains taxes, a reconciliation of the role of the monarchy in a world heading for the 21st century. The death of the Princess of Wales was a great shared tragedy; most people remember exactly where they were when the news broke.

On a happier note, HM Queen Elizabeth II also celebrated her golden wedding Anniversary with Prince Philip, her greatest source of comfort and stability during her reign.

Modernisations happened within the whisky industry and, in the 90s, the distilleries were ramping up again with the resurging popularity of Scotland's spirit. But, like the house of Windsor, they kept their reinventions subtle - their strength comes from unbroken traditions. Especially Springbank, which features in this auction.

Casks from this era are in short supply, quite simply because their sibling casks have long been bottled and enjoyed.

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