Springbank and Glengyle, a history of ...

At most distilleries in Scotland, some operations are outsourced to specialised companies. Springbank is the only distillery in this country that still does everything itself; from malting the barley to bottling the mature whisky. Besides keeping the entire production in-house, they do much more. At Springbank distillery, they don't just make one whisky, they make as many as three. And on top of that, they also run another distillery in the town of Campbeltown, which was once called ‘the whisky capital of the world’.

Until the 1920s, Campbeltown was full of distilleries. In its heyday, around 30 distilleries produced in and around the place and Campbeltown was considered the richest town in the UK. World War I and Prohibition in the United States of America brought this to an abrupt end. When Prohibition ended and sales of whisky to the US resumed, there were only two distilleries left to return to production. These were Glen Scotia and Springbank, and so for many years these would be the only ones still distilling in Campbeltown. Despite the fact that only two distilleries were operating, people continued to see Campbeltown as a distinct Scotch whisky region for many years to come. However, more and more people consider Campbeltown to be part of the Highlands.

Old whisky names in new bottles

Back in the early 1970s, plans emerged at Springbank to start reusing names from other distilleries in that town. They began to do so tentatively by distilling a whisky with a solid peat smoke character in 1973 and 1974. This whisky was called Longrow, after a distillery that had stood next to Springbank in the past. It wasn't until 1987 that they continued with this, and since 1996 they have also distilled a whisky called Hazelburn, once the largest distillery in Campbeltown. In this way, the Mitchell family, the owners of Springbank, wanted to put Campbeltown back on the map as a whisky region. However, this was not enough for them. There needed to be a third distillery in town, and it was decided to reopen the Glengyle distillery, which closed in 1924. The buildings of this distillery had remained in reasonably good condition during the years of closure, and it was decided to start distilling there again. Another reason to start there again is the fact that distillery Glengyle was once owned by the same Mitchell family.

Meanwhile, whisky from Glengyle has been marketed under the name Kilkerran. This is because the Mitchell family no longer owns the Glengyle brand name. In fact, during the crisis time of the 1920s, the distillery was sold to the company West Highland Malt Distilleries. In this company, the trading house Robertson & Baxter was a major shareholder, and when West Highland Malt Distilleries went bankrupt in 1924, the Glengyle name remained the property of this whisky merchant. Incidentally, Robertson & Baxter is now called Edrington Group.

The differences in Springbank's whiskies

So currently, the people at Springbank make five different malt whiskies at two different distilleries. At distillery Glengyle, a malt is made from peat smoked and non-turfed smoke malt. This malt comes from Springbank's malt floor. There is a chance that in the future the malt will come from Glengyle's own malt floors. This is because Glengyle's malting plant is virtually intact, and only the malt kiln is missing. The two malts for Glengyle are used to make two malt whiskies that are distilled twice, just like at most distilleries in Scotland. Here, however, the new distillate is matured in different types of casks, in order to market several different-tasting whiskies in this way. For instance, the whisky matures mainly in bourbon casks, but also casks in which port, madeira, sherry, marsala or other types of wine have matured.

The malt whisky that has been distilled at Springbank itself since 1996 under the name Hazelburn is also made from untasted malt from its own maltings. In this case, the whisky is not distilled twice, but three times. This produces a much softer and more neutral whisky, which is in the same style as the whisky made at the original distillery until 1925. Hazelburn is also matured in different types of oak casks by the people at Springbank.

Topped whiskies

Distillery Springbank also makes two more peat-smoked malt whiskies. The most peated of these is Longrow, which as already mentioned is named after a distillery that stood next to Springbank and of which one whisky warehouse is still standing. This warehouse now houses Springbank's bottling line. The malt used to make Longrow is 100% dried by peat fire. It takes fifty-six hours for the green malt to dry in the malt kiln with this peat fire. The Longrow is distilled twice and aged in bourbon and, to a small extent, sherry casks.

The whisky released at Springbank under its own name is made in a special way. Firstly, the malt is partly dried with a peat fire and partly by oil stoves located in the drying kiln. The malt for the Springbank whisky is dried for six hours with a peat fire and twenty-four hours with the hot air of the oil stoves. From this lightly peated malt, a whisky is then made that is distilled two and a half times.

In fact, there are three stills in Springbank's distillery. The first is called the ‘wash still’, the second the ‘low wine’ still and the third the ‘spirit still’. The ‘wash’, say the fermented beer, is distilled once here as usual in the ‘wash still’. The liquid that remains after this first distillation is called ‘low wine’. Half of this is distilled a second time, in the ‘low wine still’. The liquid resulting from this second distillation is called ‘feints’. These ‘feints’, together with the as yet undistilled half of the ‘low wine’, are distilled again in the ‘spirit still’. During this distillation, the pre- and post-distillation are separated from the middle run. This middle barrel can then be aged in a bourbon, sherry, rum, port or a Madeira cask. The fore- and aftershocks are then re-distilled in the ‘sprit still’ together with the ‘low wine’ and ‘feints’.

Peat and water

Springbank's production team also distils the peat needed to dry the green malt itself. So this team has very varied work. Òeither they work in the malting plant to produce the malt for the various whiskies. Òor at Glengyle distillery, to make Kilkerran malt whisky there. Òor at Springbank distillery to make Hazelburn, Longrow or Springbank whisky. Fortunately, they do not have to do much for the production water, as it comes naturally from Crosshill Loch, which lies south of Campbeltown. This lake was created by the 7th Duke of Argyll, John Douglas Edward Henry Campbell, because the wells used for drinking water in the past did not provide enough water for the town's growing population. Water was piped to each house to quell the regular outbreak of a cholera epidemic. So you could actually say that at the Glengyle and Springbank distilleries, they make their whisky from tap water.

Because there is only one team doing all this different work, very little is produced in terms of whisky. Consequently, the whisky the company makes is not sold to any blender. Everything is bottled in its own bottling plant as a single malt. Although, surely some malt whisky will have to go into its own blended whisky Campbeltown Loch. Right?

Springbank and Glengyle, a history of ...

Old whisky names in new bottles

The differences in Springbank's whiskies

Topped whiskies

Peat and water

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