If you enjoy a glass of scotch at the end of each day as I do, this guide to Springbank Scotch is worth the read. I’m going to talk about a high-quality scotch brand, founded and operated in Scotland, that sells scotch aged a minimum of 10 years.
After going over the different types of scotch offered by Springbank and offering some tips about the best ways to enjoy them, I’m going to give you 3 great alternatives to Springbank Scotch, too. Are you ready to kick back with a drink in your hand?
About Springbank
Before going into specifics about the different kinds of scotch offered by Springbank Scotch, I’d like to discuss what makes this brand so special.
Springbank has been around since 1828, and during their almost 200 years of official operation, they’ve built a rich history and created top-notch alcohol products.
In this next segment, I’m going to talk about Springbank as a fifth-generation family-owned business, where the distillery is located, and how Springbank maintains its quality control.
Fifth Generation Family-Owned Business
Springbank’s chairman is Hedley G. Wright, the great-great-grandson of Archibald Mitchell, Springbank’s first official owner.
Things weren’t always so easy for this Scottish family when, during their distillery’s unofficial operation dating all the way back to 1591, alcohol production and sales were illegal.
This family saw other local distilleries come and go, their owners either risking arrest or cutting corners on quality when alcohol was legalized. Through it all, Springbank has stood strong.
Where is Springbank Located?
Springbank is in what used to be called the whiskey capital of the world! Can you guess it? The Springbank distillery is in Campbell, Scotland, where it was originally founded.
Local Campbell resources are used to make Springbank Scotch, like water from nearby sources, which is how their workers keep the taste authentic to the original recipe.
Springbank’s Quality Control
Springbank is the only distillery in the entire country of Scotland that still malts its own barley. They malt the barley using a traditional floor malting process. Every step, from malting and kilning to maturation and bottling, is done at their distillery.
By carefully selecting who works to produce the whiskey and having control over the scotch-making process without any outside influences, Springbank has a hawk’s eye on the quality of their products.
What Type of Scotch is Springbank Scotch?
Springbank Scotch is a single malt scotch. If you’re unfamiliar with the terminology, being single malt means that Springbank’s scotch is all made in the same distillery. Part of what makes Springbank scotch special is they take it a step further. They don’t blend batches.
In fact, Springbank specifies the year on the bottle, which will tell you when that batch of scotch was made, and they tell you what notes are in that batch.
Pros and Cons to Springbank Scotch
With only a few marks against Springbank (because we were nit-picking,) I was more than happy with what this brand offers. So, you can have a side-by-side comparison of the pros and cons of Springbank Scotch, I made a quick chart with key bullet points.
How is Springbank Scotch Made?
Making scotch is hard! There are so many steps! Since Springbank completes the whole scotch-making process in their distillery, every step is carried out by people they know and trust. Here’s how they do it:
- Malting the barley using a traditional-style floor malting method
- Kilning the malted barley with either hot air, a peat fire, or both
- Milling the barley to turn it into grist, or a fine powder
- Mashing the grist with hot water and filtering the liquid
- Fermenting the liquid in wooden baths
- Passing the liquid through 3 copper stills and then fermenting it
- Transferring the liquid into carefully chosen casks
- Maturing the liquid inside the casks into the scotch
- Inspecting the scotch, which is then bottled and labeled
Best Way to Drink Springbank Scotch
There is an art to drinking scotch. You want to fully experience what notes in the drink are supposed to stimulate your sense of smell, your sense of taste, and linger on the tongue.
There are a few methods people enjoy drinking scotch by which achieve this, but for Springbank Scotch, there’s no beating enjoying scotch traditionally. Here are the steps to do it:
- Pour your scotch into a whiskey glass, making it a neat drink.
- Gently swirl your cup to release the aromas within the scotch.
- Take your first sip of the drink so you can appreciate its full flavors.
- Add just a drop or two of water into the drink, swirling it again.
- With the water this time, which releases more flavors, enjoy the rest of your drink.
What Foods Pair Well with Springbank Scotch?
All kinds of food pair well with Springbank Scotch, and all of them will affect your palette as you continue to enjoy your drink.
Some foods are scientifically proven to stimulate your taste buds in an enjoyable way as you drink scotch. To know more about these foods, read on.
- Strong and smoky cheeses are a #1 favorite when paired with old, bold scotches
- Fruit that has a core with tiny seeds, or pome fruits, such as apples and pears
- Grilled steaks and grilled salmon without heavy sauces or tangy flavors
- Dark chocolate with a high cacao percentage-try to avoid milk and white chocolate
- Nuts like walnuts, macadamia nuts, coconuts, and cashews
Types of Springbank Scotch
There are 5 different types of Springbank Scotch offered on the Springbank website. All 5 of these types of scotch are aged between 10-25 years, and each batch has its own distinctive notes.
I’m going to provide a quick guide for reference about all of these 5 types so you can buy the perfect bottle for yourself or a loved one.
10-Year-Old Springbank Scotch
This is known on Springbank’s website as their introductory bottle to new Springbank drinkers. If you’ve never had a bottle of Springbank Scotch before, they recommend you try this one first, which is matured in sherry and bourbon casks.
Notes
- Nose: Pear, vanilla, and malt with a hint of peat
- Palate: Malt, oak, nutmeg, cinnamon, spice, and vanilla essence
- Finish: Sweet and salty
This whisky’s extremely rich character earned a Gold medal at the World Whiskies Awards in 2014.
12-Year-Old Springbank Scotch
This scotch is buttery, it’s fruity, and if you add a drop of water and swirl your glass, you’ll release its milk chocolate and vanilla notes. The alcohol content is 54.2%, with delicious, harmonious flavors.
Notes
- Nose: Pine, chestnut, malt, and a hint of peat
- Palate: Toasted marshmallows, marmalade on toast, vanilla, and pepper
- Finish: Slow-baked honey ham
A staggeringly good cask strength edition of the 12-year-old Springbank. 60% matured in the first fill and the remainder in refill sherry hogsheads. A favorite amongst Campbeltown whisky fans already.
15-Year-Old Springbank Scotch
Springbank describes this bottle’s flavors as ominous, dark, woodsy, stormy, homey, and familiar. I agree. It has complex notes I’ve never tasted anywhere else. To enjoy this scotch to its fullest, I recommend having it with a cigar or after eating dinner.
Notes
- Nose: Dark chocolate, demerara sugar, almonds, toffee, Christmas cake, and oak
- Palate: Cream, raisins, figs, dark chocolate, marzipan, vanilla, and Brazil nuts
- Finish: Sherry and oak with hints of leather
Fragrant with a certain richness. Notes of fruit salad and a hint of caramel, pineapple, guava and passion fruit lurk. There are notes of dried leather and old ropes. A hint of toffee sweetness and some granary toast.
18-Year-Old Springbank Scotch
This is another scotch from Springbank with a combination of flavors I’ve never seen anywhere else. But that work together in harmony. Being aged 18 years, this is the second to the oldest bottle of scotch offered on the Springbank website. If you like rich, full-bodied scotch, this is your perfect bottle.
Notes
- Nose: Lemon meringue, almonds, olive oil, pear skin, and digestive biscuits
- Palate: Carrot cake, lime, and treacle in the forefront with butterscotch, dried bananas, and coconut shavings in the background
- Finish: Gingerbread, licorice, and Madagascar vanilla followed by trinity cream, mint, and vanilla milkshake
21-Year-Old Springbank Scotch
This is the oldest type of scotch Springbank offers on their website. If you or someone you know is a longtime fan of scotch, this might be the best bottle to buy. This scotch is complex, creamy, has nose notes of fruit, and is a beautiful golden color.
Notes
- Nose: Toffee, cereal, fresh-picked strawberries, and watermelon
- Palate: Sugared almonds and cinnamon
- Finish: Creamy with peat
Alternatives to Springbank Scotch
Next up, I’d like to share some alternatives to Springbank Scotch with you. These are great if you want to expand your scotch-drinking horizons even further.
Though these brands don’t quite have the 200-year-old Scottish history from Campbell that Springbank does with a distillery still in operation today, they also make wonderful drinks.
All these following choices have high ratings among fellow scotch drinkers and are sure to put a smile on your face at the end of the night.
AnCnoc Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
Best for: Made with Local Sources
About
One of the things that makes this single malt scotch whiskey from An Cnoc so special is it is made from pure, local spring water. This is another sweet scotch, and its profile of notes won’t disappoint.
- Nose: Apple and vanilla
- Taste: Woody with a hint of pear
- Finish: Warm
Pairs Well With
Milk chocolate, peanuts, cashews, apples, and pears would pair great with this scotch. If you want to drink it with dinner, try pairing it with grilled steaks.
An initially thick and oily smoke structure reveals a sharper, more medicinal phenolic layer and a piercing burst of fruitiness. Ripe peaches and just a touch of oak. The nose is intense and unforgettable.
Pros
- Sweet
- Made with local ingredients
- Pairs well with many foods
Cons
- Not for people who don’t like sweet scotch
Loch Lomond Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
Best for: Most Popular
About
The Loch Lomond distillery was established back in 1965, and it’s successful to this day. This bottle of scotch offered by Loch Lomond is sweet with a long and lingering flavor. Since the distillery is still open, Loch Lomond won’t be running out of this type of scotch anytime soon.
- Nose: Peat with a hint of brandy
- Taste: Madeira wine and Christmas raisin pudding
- Finish: Long, light, and dry
Pairs Well With
This scotch would pair well with a mix of bitter and sweet foods. Try it with dark chocolate that has a high cacao percentage, apple slices, and pear slices.
A pronounced burst of malt on the tongue meets appetizing sweet cereal notes that build over time for an almost creamy texture. Midpalate there is evident nuttiness, the texture, and flavor of brazil nuts. A slightly astringent citrus note appears fleetingly in the background.
Pros
- Delicious, simplistic, and harmonious notes
- Perfect for the holiday season
- From highly reputable scotch distillery
Cons
- Methods for making scotch aren’t as traditional as Springbank
Littlemill Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
Best for: Most Reputable
About
The Littlemill distillery had been in operation since 1772, which makes it the oldest scotch whiskey distillery in all of Scotland. Littlemill’s rise to fame with products like this one, a triple distilled scotch, is due to the traditional scotch-making methods they used.
Sadly, since this distillery burnt down in 2004, there have been a limited number of bottles of their scotch left in the world. If you’re a scotch collector, this one is a must-have.
- Nose: Malt, marshmallow, pear, and melon with a hint of grass and honey
- Taste: Malt, honey, and nuts
- Finish: Long and smooth
Pairs Well With
This scotch would pair well with a charcuterie board that offers foods to compliment the scotch’s flavors. Make a charcuterie board with walnuts, macadamia nuts, pear slices, honey, and aged cheese.
Pros
- From the oldest distillery in Scotland, giving it credibility
- Delicious notes and a smooth finish
- Perfect gift for scotch collectors
Cons
- Limited amount of Littlemill’s scotch left
FAQs
In this segment, I’m going to answer your most frequently asked questions about Springbank Scotch. This family-owned business with a distillery on the same lands it was founded on has taken the world by storm, and I’m happy to answer your inquiries about it.
If you have a question I don’t get around to, please leave us a comment in the section below.
Answer: Springbank Scotch is an excellent brand of scotch. Aged a minimum of 10 years, this scotch is known for its rich taste unique to each batch.
Being able to succeed as a company for the last 200 years means they’ve perfected the art of scotch-making. Springbank even has a special membership program so members can buy limited editions of their scotch.
Answer: This really depends on personal preference. Each batch of Springbank Scotch has its own distinctive notes, which affects how it tastes. Some would argue that the oldest bottle of Springbank Scotch is the best, but even this is arbitrary because some people find they prefer scotch that hasn’t aged for multiple decades.
In fact, Springbank’s website recommends you start with the bottle-aged 10 years first for the perfect introduction to their scotch. If you’re buying for someone else, ask what they prefer or start with the 10-year bottle.
Answer: This depends on the notes in each batch of Springbank Scotch. Some batches have finishing notes of leather, others licorice, and others honey-baked ham, among more. Some are dark and earthy, while others are lighter with more fruit and floral notes.
If you’re unsure which bottle has which notes, you can always look at the Springbank website. In the description of each bottle, it lists the notes for nose, palette, and finish.
Answer: Some batches of Springbank Scotch are peated, meaning they are put in a kiln over a peat fire, and some are not. Sometimes Springbank kilns batches over a peat fire, and sometimes they choose to kiln with hot air.
Also, sometimes they use a mix of both methods. While both ways make for delicious scotch, some of us like to know for sure. You can tell that some batches have been peated because peat will be listed as a note in the bottle.
Wrapping Up
Aren’t you craving a glass of scotch? I have been. I got to go over what makes Springbank such a unique brand with a rich history and what makes their scotch special.
I talked about 5 different types of Springbank Scotch and provided 3 alternatives to Springbank Scotch in case you want to expand your scotch-drinking horizons even more.
I love to talk about this subject, so please leave them in the section below if you have any comments or questions. And for more stellar whiskey reviews, check out our breakdown of the Suntory Toki!
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