Springbank 12 Year Burgundy
Campbeltown is in some ways a whisky ghost town, once home to over 30 distilleries yet now only three remain, like gunslingers in an old Western. Looked at another way, however, and whisky in Campbeltown is resurgent. The three distilleries remaining are successful and robust, with Springbank leading the pack as one of the most well-regarded in Scotland. Still the only distillery to house the entire process on site, from malting to bottling, they have the capacity and foresight to experiment on the side while still supporting their core range (including the Hazelburn and Longrow lines). This Springbank 12 Year Burgundy has the spirit aged in first fill Burgundy barrels, which means the wine’s influence is stronger. The Longrow Red series typically experiments with wine finishes, so seeing the Springbank spirit treated thus is a welcome treat.
The Macallan 12 Year
The Macallan is one of the undisputed titans of the Scotch industry. It is also one of the top sellers of Scotch in the world, close behind Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet. Though classified by recent whisky regulations as a Highland Malt, many experts (and the distillery themselves) consider it a Speyside. Being a very large and well-selling brand for almost 200 years, it is perhaps no surprise that Macallan boasts deep offerings across four distinct lines. Another record the distillery has repeatedly broken is for the most expensive bottle of whisky sold at auction. The current holder is The Macallan “M” Imperiale, sold in 2014 for $628,000.
Penderyn Madeira
Wales has a long history of distilled beverages, but Penderyn is the country’s only current distillery. Founded in 2004, the distillery lays nestled in the Breacon Beacons and produces the world’s only Welsh single malt. One of the world’s smallest distilleries, Penderyn’s signature single malt, the Madeira won gold medals at the 2012 and 2013 International Whisky Competition. Can this new whisky on the block live up to the legends imbued in the history of the landscape?