Scotland’s forgotten whisky region
Ask many Scotch drinkers how many whisky regions there are in Scotland, and the will proudly say “Four! Speyside, Islay, Highlands and Lowlands.” They will be wrong. So was I, for many years. When I first encountered a Campbeltown single malt over a decade ago, I simply assumed it was a sub-region, or a marketing thing. It wasn’t until recently that I learned Campbeltown is the fifth officially designated whisky region in Scotland.
Campbeltown is a small town on the Kintyre peninsula in the southwest of Scotland. It is not far from Glasgow and the island of Islay, and the closest point to Ireland. So close to Ireland that lengend holds St. Patrick introduced the art of distilling to Scotland in that region during the 5th century.
At one time, Campbeltown (named for Archibald Cambell, 9th Earl of Argyle), was home to over 30 distilleries. In the Victorian age at the end of the 19th century, it was known as the whisky capital of the world.
Two world wars and a Great Depression later, and by the end of the 20th century, only two active distilleries remained – Glen Scotia and Springbank. In addition to their namesake whisky, Springbank also produces the heavily peated Longrow and the unpeated Hazelburn.
These were joined in 2004 when the former Glengyle distillery began production again after having been shuttered in 1925. With the name Glengyle now owned by Loch Lomond, the former Glengyle distillery is now producing whisky under the name Kilkerran, from Campbeltown’s original name, Kinlochkilkerran.
In general, Cambeltown whiskeys are known for being full-bodied, with a viscous, almost oily mouthfeel, and a coastal salinity due to the location on the Kintyre peninsula, and proximity to the sea. Here we look at the entry level expressions from each of these three distilleries.
First up, the Glen Scotia Double Cask. This is a non-age statement (NAS) whisky. Not surprisingly, the “double cask” refers to ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, the two most common types used for aging Scotch. All three expressions here combine bourbon and sherry cask influences.
This whisky is a deep gold in color, a little darker than actual gold. The nose brings expected sherry notes, but less dry than a sherried Speyside, with a touch of honey sweetness, a little biscuit-like cereal, and a hint of coastal salinity. The palate starts out sweet with a touch of the expected salinity, but gives way to drier notes, fading to almost slightly bitter in the finish. A few drops of water tone down the bitter notes at the end.
Springbank 10 is probably the most well known and widely available Campbeltown, at least in my area in the eastern U.S. The color is a medium gold, almost an exact match to the metal of that name. The nose starts off with toasted wood, followed by sherry notes. The expected salinity is lacking. The palate begins with a toffee sweetness, fading to drier sherry notes. The salinity that was lacking on the nose comes through in the taste. The mouthfeel is medium and slightly oily.
Last up is the Kilkerran 12. After resuming production in 2004, this 12 year old expression was first available just a few short years ago, in 2016. The color is a little lighter than gold, but darker than straw. The nose is warm, with wood dominating, and a hint of salinity that you might miss if you’re not looking for it. On the palate, it is the thickest and oiliest of the lot. It starts out drier than the others, with the typical flavors of a sherried Speyside, but a touch of coastal salinity and some peat quickly remind you that it is not one of those.
You may have noticed that each of these selections is bottled at 46% ABV. This is a common strength for single malt Scotch, as it is the proof at which non-chill filtered whiskies will not become cloudy when chilled.
Overall, each of these drams is representative of what the “typical” Campbeltown malt is expected to be, but each showcases different aspects to different degrees. If your whisky explorations haven’t taken you to the Kintyre peninsula yet, you may want to add it to your tasting destinations.
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