Scotland, Campbeltown. Distillery operational. Owner: J&A Mitchell & Co Ltd

It is no coincidence that four of the fifteen most prized distilleries in Scotland are family-owned or independent. Throughout the 20th century, this status led them to seize on any commercial opportunity open to them and to develop the marketing ingenuity key to the development and sustainability of their businesses. The Springbank distillery is one of the finest examples of the villainy of the Scotch whisky industry in the 20th century.This is seen in two exceptional bottlings, one distributed in the early 70s, a 50 year old distilled on 29 December 1919 (stated on its certificate), and the other released in the early 90s, a re-bottling from the distiller, limited to 24 editions worldwide, also displaying the vintage 1919. It is also seen in a move made at the very start of the 2000s, when, under pressure from a stock hit hard by years of production crisis (1980s), the Mitchell family decided to drastically change the profile of their single malt, taking the opportunity to change the bottle at the same time.

A Springbank Local Barley distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2017. As the name implies, Springbank Local Barley is made from barley grown in Campbeltown—in this case Belgravia grown at West Back Farms. This sixth edition 10 year old was matured entirely in sherry casks. The range, launched in the 1990s and named Local Barley in the 2000s, has become one of Springbank’’s leading expressions. Initially featuring older whiskies such as the many casks from 1966, it was relaunched in the mid-2010s with younger editions such as this. A limited edition of 9,000 bottles.