Springbank Local Barley Scotch Truly a Local Grain Affair

Springbank is one of just a handful of family-run Scotch whisky distilleries still out there. It has a cult following among its drinkers, especially those able to get hold of older bottlings. One of the most revered of these was the Local Barley series, which used barley grown not too far from the distillery in its mash bill. A highly sought-after and collectible whisky, bottles still floating around often command thousands of dollars at retail and auction.

Now, Springbank seems to be returning to this expression as a more regular bottling, unveiling Local Barley 2016. This whisky, of which 9,000 bottles are being made available, was distilled in 1999 from barley grown at Low Machrimore Farm, a few miles outside of the distillery’s hometown of Campbeltown. It is a 16-year-old Scotch, bottled at 54.3% ABV.

Plans call for Springbank Local Barley 2016 to be the first in “a series of different bottlings in the local barley series” that will be released over the next few years. What’s just coming to market now will be distributed in Europe, Canada and the US, and it should price for around £95 (about $135 USD).

For the curious, information from Springbank’s Facebook page suggests “80% of the whisky was matured in American oak ex bourbon and 20% European oak ex oloroso sherry.”