Pour yourself a dram or a coffee (or whatever you fancy), as today we’re having many whiskies reviewed, with 7 + 1 Springbank Local Barley. We’re tasting all but one of the recent Local Barley expressions released since 2019 (so we’re starting with one bottled in 2018), plus as a bonus, a vatting sample from one of them, tried before its final bottling and release, during my Eat, Sleep, Dram, Repeat tour at Springbank back in July 2023.
Springbank Local Barley
The Springbank Local Barley series is Springbank’s annual Campbeltown release built around barley grown locally, or very near Campbeltown, rather than standard commercial grain sourcing. Springbank’s own range page describes it as an annual release made from barley grown in or around Campbeltown, with a local farmer commissioned each year to grow barley on the distillery’s behalf.
What makes it notable is that it turns a very old-fashioned idea into a recurring modern bottling: regional barley, small-scale production, and a strong link between field and distillery. Springbank is already unusual for handling much of its production in-house, including malting its own barley on the Kintyre peninsula, so Local Barley is really an extension of that philosophy rather than a marketing detour.
The series has two layers of history. An earlier Local Barley existed as a set of single-cask 1965 vintage bottlings released in 2001, and the modern annual series restarted in 2016 as a regular small-batch release. Since then, it has become one of Springbank’s most anticipated limited editions. There were also many single casks bottled from 1988 to 2000, but these bottlings did not feature the expression ‘local barley’ on their front label. Instead, they listed the farms the barley grew at on their back label.
In practical terms, the series usually showcases how Springbank can frame a release around sourcing and production choices rather than around cask gimmicks or age statements alone. The 2021 bottling, for example, was a 10-year-old from 2011 distillation with 100% bourbon casks and 51.6% ABV, while the 2025 edition was an 8-year-old at 58.1% ABV split evenly between bourbon and sherry casks.
Local Barley matters because it combines scarcity, locality, and Springbank’s already distinctive production identity. The releases tend to be sought after by Springbank fans not only because they are limited, but also because they emphasise provenance in a way that feels genuinely tied to Campbeltown (and, unfortunately, also because of greed, as these limited releases are highly ‘flippable’).
The series also sits comfortably beside Springbank’s broader house style, which is known for traditional methods and a hands-on approach to whisky-making. That means Local Barley is not just ‘another special edition’; it is one of the clearest expressions of what Springbank wants to say about place, grain, and process.
Springbank 09-Year-Old Local Barley (2018) Review
This is the fourth release in modern Springbank’s Local Barley line, distilled from Optic barley grown at High‑Cattadale Farm in July 2009 and bottled on the 18th of October 2018 at 57.7% ABV. The whisky is a marriage of roughly 80% bourbon and 20% sherry casks, natural‑colour and nonchill‑filtered, with about 9,700 bottles released. Expect to pay at least €230 on the secondary market for a bottle, with some extremely greedy online websites asking for €1000 or even more for a bottle.
Colour:
Pale gold.
Nose:
Neat: Rich, oily and mineral‑driven, with a briny, coastal slap of salt, seaweed and rock pools sitting under sweet‑malt and honeyed barley sugar. Citrus peel (lemon, grapefruit), crushed stone, white pepper and a faint petrol‑like medicinal note round out the picture with a warming ethanol edge.
With water: A few drops of water help the citrus and minerality find more space, softening the ABV heat and making the lemon, grapefruit and saline notes come forward. The rubbery‑medicinal edge recedes slightly, and the nose gains a touch of honey.
Palate:
Neat: Thick, oily and ABV‑spicy at first, with a dense wave of honey, barley water and nectarine‑like stone fruit, then a salty, briny coastal kick (oyster‑like seawater, shellfish). Underneath sits a fair amount of peat smoke, a faint rubbery‑medicinal funk, and a dry, chalky‑mineral grip that keeps the sweetness in check.
With water: Water tames the heat and makes the texture creamier, with honey, honeyed barley and stone‑fruit sweetness becoming more obvious. The salt and smokiness remain, but they sit more comfortably in the background, with the rubbery‑mineral‑funk becoming a bit more ‘mezcal‑like’ than harsh.
Finish:
Long, punchy and quite salty, with citrus zest, a wisp of smoke, a bit of tar and iodine, and a persistent chalky‑mineral echo. The finish is both lively and drying, with lemon‑peel bitterness and a subtle coastal‑peat grip lingering over a sweet‑honeyed backbone.
Comments:
Beautiful oily, peaty and slightly funky Springbank, with a bit of sweetness. This is a textbook splendid Springbank full of Campbeltown character, that tastes quite mature for its age. Superb.
Rating: 8/10
Springbank 10-year-old Local Barley (2020) Review
This sixth release in the Local Barley line was distilled from Belgravia barley grown at Glencraigs Farm, matured for ten years in 100% oloroso‑sherry casks, and bottled in December 2020 at 55.6% ABV (cask strength, non‑chill‑filtered). Around 8,500 bottles were released (in 2021). This release is where prices become really stupid, as you’ll have to pay at least €500 for a bottle.
Colour:
Old oak.
Nose:
Neat: A dense sherry‑driven nose built on dried fruits: raisins, dates, prunes and sweet cherries, then a wave of dark chocolate, cigar leaves, and a hint of damp earth and leather. There is a touch of damped barnyard and furniture polish alongside orange zest, honey, caramel and a faint cooling‑mint note. After aeration, the nose becomes quite brighter.
With water: A few drops of water soften the sherry intensity and push the fruit and honey more forward, with raisins, cherry and orange‑zest lifted above the chocolate and cigar leaves notes. The cooling mint impression becomes more pronounced, and the barnyard and earth edge recedes.
Palate:
Neat: Rich, oily and mouth‑coating, with a sweet‑fruity grip of dried red fruits, cherries and a hint of BBQ and prune rather than classic Campbeltown petrol and funk. There is a subtle edge of peat smoke and a mineral chalk and earth texture, but the sherry cask dominates, showing dark chocolate, warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom‑like warmth) and a faint ink‑like bitterness. The mouthfeel is very full, with a noticeable ABV‑bite at first.
With water: Water tames the heat and makes the texture even creamier, with more obvious honey‑caramel, sweet cherries and a chocolate‑cake‑like layer emerging. The cinnamon and cardamom spices soften into a more even heat.
Finish:
Long and quite drying, with a trail of dark‑chocolate‑coated raisins, cinnamon‑spice, a hint of mint and a lingering saline‑mineral note.
Comments:
At first I was a bit disappointed by this Springbank, with the sherry overriding the Springbank character, but after a couple of hours of aeration into the glass with a cap on, the nose greatly improved. On the palate, the sherry is still very present with lots of red fruits and less peat than the 9-year-old from two years before. Very good, but slightly less than the 2018 release.
Rating: 7.5/10
Springbank 10-year-old Local Barley (2021) Review
This seventh release in the Local Barley line was distilled from Belgravia barley grown at Glencraigs Farm, matured entirely in ex‑bourbon casks, and bottled on the 14th of December 2021 at 51.6% ABV, natural colour and not chill‑filtered. Around 15,000 bottles were released in 2022 at, initially, £90, but you’ll have to prepare to pay at least €220 on the secondary market for a bottle.
Colour:
Pale straw.
Nose:
Neat: A classic Campbeltown‑style nose, but turned down in funk and turned up in a sweet bourbon style: biscuits, sweet and sour orchard fruit (apple, pear), lemon zest, a whiff of soot and leafy, stemmy notes. There are hints of wildflowers, sheep wool, wet gravel and a faint new‑plastics‑like edge, plus a soft vanilla‑ice‑cream and custard layer.
With water: A few drops of water tend to soften the spirity new plastic edge and push the honeyed malt, biscuit, and lemon‑zest elements more forward.
Palate:
Neat: Coastal and a little farmy, with a nicely oily texture, a chalky‑mineral grip and a modest amount of mineral‑peat rather than full‑on petrol‑funk. Grapefruit, lime and a plum‑cake‑like fruitiness sit alongside a touch of resin, medicinal notes and graphite‑like dryness, then a soft vanilla sweetness and a dab of seawater‑salt in the mid‑palate.
With water: Water smooths the ABV‑spike and makes the mouthfeel creamier, with more obvious honey, vanilla, and a soft biscuit‑cake sweetness emerging. The coastal‑chalkiness and mineral‑peat remain, but they become more integrated.
Finish:
Medium‑long, chalky and mineral, with a good dose of salt and some lingering citrus peel, a hint of ink and a faint medicinal‑smoky echo.
Comments:
Back to pure bourbon Springbank. The 51.6% ABV drives a spicy, punchy feel without drying out the whisky: it’s lush, a bit muddy‑in‑a‑good‑way, and still very much Campbeltown, just somewhat tamer than the 2020‑release bottling, and not as positively intense 2019 (bottled 2018) release.
Rating: 7.5/10
Springbank 11-year-old Local Barley (2022) Review
This eighth Local Barley release was distilled from Belgravia barley grown at Glencraigs Farm in May 2011 and matured for eleven years as a mix of about 55% ex‑sherry cask, 35% ex‑bourbon cask and 10% ex‑rum cask before being bottled in December 2022 at 55.1% ABV, natural colour and not chill‑filtered. Around 15,000 bottles were released in early 2023, and you’ll have to pay at least €250 to get one.
Colour:
Yellow gold.
Nose:
Neat: Bright and energetic, opening on lemon sweets and lemon juice, then a wave of garden – fruit (ripe pears, peaches) with a faint tropical edge (papaya, mango, a hint of banana). Mineral notes quickly appear: wet gravel, damp limestone, a tweed jacket and a whisper of metallic‑harbour aromas (tarred rope, salty air), then a more grassy, leafy layer as it opens, with a little honeyed and nutty warmth in the background.
With water: A few drops push the lemon‑sweets and garden‑fruit elements more forward, softening the metallic‑harbour and chalky‑mineral notes. The tropical‑fruit layer (papaya, mango) gains a bit more prominence.
Palate:
Neat: Thick and oily, with a strong citrus punch (lemon, grapefruit) upfront, then a cream‑sweet layer of pears and honey, followed by a quick shift into dry‑mineral‑salt. The rum and sherry casks add a faint agave‑like oiliness, a touch of brown sugar‑caramel, and a whip of resin, followed by Campbeltown‑style grasses, engine‑oil‑like funk, green tobacco and walnuts. The 55.1% ABV gives a firm, peppery‑punch that amplifies the salt and bitterness, yet keeps the whisky from becoming overly syrupy despite the generous cask mix.
’With water: Water makes the mouthfeel creamier, with more obvious honey, vanilla‑custard and a soft pear‑cake‑like sweetness emerging. The salt, chalk, and engine‑oil‑like funk recede just enough to let the fruit and rum cask’s brown sugar side breathe.
Finish:
Long, chalky and mineral, with barley, salty and briny notes and a gentle drift of maritime ashes. Citrus peel and a subtle citrusy bitterness linger, while the rum cask derived brown sugar and walnut tones tag along in the background. The finish feels very Campbeltown‑classic: drying and slightly industrial.
Comments:
Compared with the 2020 release, this 2022 release is a bit sweeter, more complex but less concentrated; and compared with the 2021 bourbon‑cask‑only edition, it is notably funkier and more layered, if a touch less smoky. Superb one, one of my favourites so far.
Rating: 8/10
Springbank 13-Year-Old Local Barley (2023) Review
This 2023‑bottled Local Barley was distilled in June 2010 from Belgravia barley grown at Glencraigs Farm, then matured for 13 years in a mix of 60% ex‑bourbon casks and 40% ex‑sherry casks, before being bottled in December 2023 at 54.1% ABV, natural colour, not chill‑filtered. Around 8,400 bottles were released in early 2024, and you’ll have to pay at least €300 on the secondary market to get a bottle.
Colour:
Burnished.
Nose:
Neat: Very creamy and rich, opening on silky vanilla custard, sponge‑fingers and lemon‑zest over a soft, malty base reminiscent of barley juice and fresh cereal. There is a gentle fruit‑bowl layer of ripe bananas, apples and pears, a whiff of cinnamon, and a delicate Campbeltown funk of dunnage‑warehouse must, a faint tobacco box and gently smouldering bonfire smoke.
With water: A little water softens the alcohol‑edge and brings out more some old‑workshop notes: old oak, dusty wardrobes, pencil shavings and a touch of engine‑oil funk, while the sweeter vanilla custard and lemon zest elements fade slightly into the background. The smoke becomes a bit less overt, and the nose takes on a drier, more mineral and oak driven character.
Palate:
Neat: Thick, oily and mouth‑coating, with an initial zing of lemon sherbet and citrus‑peel, then a big wave of creamy vanilla, custard and slightly underdone apple crumble. Peaches, apricots and pineapple add a juicy fruitiness, backed by a peppery kick, a light mineral note and a subtle earthy Campbeltown umami.
With water: Water makes the mouthfeel creamier and less fiery, with more explicit whipped‑cream, custard tarts and sugar‑coated doughnuts upfront, followed by warm oak, cinnamon and a gentle salted caramel stage in the mid‑palate.
Finish:
Medium‑long, drying and slightly chalky, with pink Himalayan salt, a lingering lemon peel and orange pith bitterness, and a faint dusting of coffee grounds, nutmeg and dark chocolate. The bonfire smoke and earthy Campbeltown notes tail off gently.
Comments:
A delicious, rich and complex Local Barley edition. Not as bright and fresh as the 10-year-old from 2018 and the 11-year-old from 2022, but still very good.
Rating: 7.5/10
Springbank 13-Year-Old Local Barley Vatting Sample (mid-2023) Review
During my Springbank Eat, Sleep, Dram, Repeat tour back in July 2023, my friends and I were treated with a Springbank 13-year-old preview cask sample, at a slightly higher strength than the one bottled at the end of that year and released soon after. Let’s have a face to face to see if things changed (except for the ABV, slightly higher on this cask/vat sample) between the preview and official release. I don’t have a picture of the bottle, so I’ll use the official one again instead. However, I do have a picture of the great whisky and food pairing dinner we had for the last evening at Springbank:
Colour:
Burnished.
Nose:
Neat: The nose feels slightly more sherried than the official release, with some dark fruits that do not appear in the official release’s nose. Except for that, the noses are really very similar.
With water: After reduction, the nose of the vatting sample becomes a little bit sharper than the official release. Then, after a few moments, the nose becomes identical to the official release.
Palate:
Neat: Not much change here; the palate feels identical to the general release, even with the slightly higher ABV.
With water: The wood is slightly more present than on the official release, with a tad more lacquered wood. Otherwise, pretty identical.
Finish:
As with the palate, the finish is the same as the general release.
Comments:
Tasting the vatting sample and the official release face to face showed us that the vatting sample I could try in July 2023 was really close to the official release, with probably just a small reduction done before bottling. Except for very slight differences, they were almost identical, so it’s logical the ratings are identical as well.
Rating: 7.5/10
Springbank 8-Year-Old Local Barley (2024) Review
This 2024 release (often marketed as the ‘2025 Local Barley’ although bottled in December 2024) was distilled in July 2016 from Bere barley grown at High Ranachan farm near Campbeltown, then matured for 8 years in a mix of 50% ex‑sherry casks and 50% ex‑bourbon casks before being bottled at 58.1% ABV, natural colour, not chill‑filtered. Around 13,500 bottles were released, making it one of the more generous Local Barley bottlings. Probably why the secondary market price is more reasonable (but still overly inflated compared to the initial retail price): ‘just’ around €180 on auction…
Colour:
Burnished.
Nose:
Neat: Malty and round, with a base of barley sugar, honey and biscuits, overlaid with fresh melon, ripe mangoes, hay, wet wool and a gentle tobacco leaves note. There’s a very mild whiff of matchstick or sulphur underneath, along with damp limestone, a pinch of vanilla and some light lemony freshness, plus a touch of herbal‑sage‑like greenness as it opens. The sherry says ‘dark chocolate and nuts’ but only in the background, while the bourbon cask’s vanilla and cereal stand more out front.
/With water: A little water softens the heat and pulls out more honey, warm oak, and a lightly herbal‑green‑tea‑like note, while the melon‑and‑biscuit side becomes more prominent. The sulphur / matchstick edge recedes, but reduction also draws out dusty oak and books.
Palate:
Neat: More classically Springbank on the mouth: oily, with a clear peppery spice kick right at the front, a subtle medicinal‑antiseptic hint and a faint silver polish note. Salty and mineral Campbeltown notes (brine, sea air, dry tobacco) run through the mid‑palate, with nutmeg, cumin, a lick of black tea and a touch of dark chocolate; the bourbon side brings buttery biscuit richness and a little salted caramel, while the sherry shows mostly as dried nuts and cocoa dust. The 58.1% ABV drives firm, gingery heat and a light tannic edge.
With water: Water reins in the peppery spike and makes the mouthfeel creamier, with more obvious buttery‑biscuit, salted caramel and a gentle dark‑chocolate‑cigarette‑tobacco combo appearing. The mineral‑brine and Campbeltown‑umami remain, but they feel less sharp and more integrated.
Finish:
Medium‑long, quite spicy and slightly tannic, with a core of malt, brine, pepper and a low‑burning smoky‑ash hint. Bitter‑chocolate, lemon‑peel bitterness and a lingering tobacco‑and‑mineral note persist, plus a faint sulphury matchstick nose.
Comments:
We’ve met several times over-sulphury Springbanks when matured in sherry or wine casks, but here, the light sulphury note on the nose works really well. The younger age shows as a slightly higher ABV and a bit more spices heat, but this whisky stays balanced enough and packed with flavour.
Rating: 7.5/10
Springbank 10-Year-Old Local Barley (2025) Review
This 2025 Local Barley bottling was distilled in July 2015 from Bere barley grown on Clochkiel Farm, then matured for ten years in a mix of 60% ex‑bourbon casks and 40% ex‑sherry casks, before being bottled in October 2025 at 55.2% ABV, natural colour and not chill‑filtered. Around 8,000 bottles were released.
Colour:
xx
Nose:
Neat: A dense cereal‑led nose of buttery biscuits, warm bread‑crumb, golden malt and a polished‑wheat‑field freshness. Candied lemon, baked apple and ripe pear float over the grain, lifted by a touch of honey, vanilla and a finely salty caramel hint that evokes the Campbeltown coast. There are also subtle hints of honeyed nuts, brown sugar, a wisp of workshop rags tainted with white spirit, and a faint oyster shell briny and mineral note.
With water: A few drops of water bring out more stone fruit nuance, a touch of peach or greengage, and a faint waxy mint-like freshness, while the honeyed nuts and biscuit notes come forward. The Campbeltown oyster shells, workshop and tobacco edges soften.
Palate:
Neat: Full, oily and silky, with a broad attack that coats the palate without feeling harsh, even at 55.2%. The bourbon cask side brings biscuity malt, pastry cream sweetness, toasted oak and brown sugar caramel, while the sherry adds a light dust of dried fruits, nuts and a gentle cocoa dust‑like echo. Salty, mineral Campbeltown notes (sea air, oyster shell, a faint metallic and wet rock) structure the mid‑palate, with a fine noble bitterness from orange zest, a subtle hint of roasted cereal and a whisper of walnut and white pepper. The discreet smoke and oily and coastal character come through as a background hum.
With water: Water makes the mouthfeel creamier and more approachable, with a more explicit custard tart, buttery biscuits and a clearer salted caramel stage emerging over the grain. The salty and mineral citrus backbone stays present but feels gentler, and the subtle spice and walnut‑roasted‑cereal notes become more rounded.
Finish:
Long and persistent, with warm malt, sea salt, a lingering citrus peel‑bitterness and a fine, smoky biscuit‑like fade. The wood tannins are present but not astringent, and the finish keeps throwing up little echoes of honeyed nuts, roasted grain and a faint coastal ashy note.
Comments:
This 2025 bottling is maybe a rung below in intensity and funk compared with the 2020 or 13‑year‑old Local Barley, but this stays highly drinkable, even neat.
Rating: 7.5/10
Thanks Benoît and Mathieu!