SO FAR AT SPRINGBANK IN 2026
As we’ve now passed the midpoint of 2026, we wanted to share an update with our Society members on everything that’s been happening at the distillery this year — from day-to-day operations and current projects to exciting plans for the rest of 2026.
AN UPDATE FROM PRODUCTION
– Findlay Ross, Director of Production
The first six months of 2026 have certainly been eventful, and while we are reaping the rewards of the work done in this period, I’d not be in a great rush to re-live them!
Firstly, the construction and commissioning of the new bottling and dispatch facility was completed in early April, although we continue to make tweaks and changes to the inner workings of the facility as Bottling Operations Manager, Lea Watson, and the team settle in to their new surroundings.
It certainly hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing, because while the majority of the main bottling line has stayed the same, the way we disgorge casks and operate our dispatch has changed and this has taken a while for everyone to get to grips with.
Overall, we are delighted to complete this project and grateful to all the contractors who worked closely with us, especially the local construction firm, McFadyens, which handled the majority of the work.
We thought there was no better time than during our Malts Festival week to open the doors of the facility to the public, and this was marked with speeches from Lea and our Chairman, Neil Clapperton, before a ceremonial ribbon was cut and curious visitors were welcomed inside. A special bottle was also produced for the occasion, which proved very popular on the evening and in the following days.
Photo Credit: Kenny Craig
Secondly, the refurbishment of the Springbank stills was completed in early February, something which has aged me about 10 years! Between removing roof sheets and steel supports, craning out the old stills, repairing the refractory brickwork around the wash still, constructing a new platform, and (most nerve-wracking of all) craning the new stills into place, this project required local contractors, our own team, and Forsyths to work together to deliver our iconic Springbank stills back to us with a lot more life in them!
We are already seeing the benefits of this, with no leaks in the stills themselves or the pipework meaning our spirit yields have both increased and become more consistent. Most importantly, though, is that they continue to make the same distillate that we all know and love.
As I write this we are just completing our local barley production for the year, with two different crops from two different farms being malted, mashed, distilled, and casked separately for release at a future date.
Production Manager Gavin McLachlan has kept a studious eye over all our production activities as usual, and I thank him and the team for their tireless work during a busy and testing start to the year!
Finally, thanks to everyone who attended our Open Days at the 2026 Campbeltown Malts Festival. It was great to see the ‘old guard’ of familiar faces alongside a lot of new attendees and a good time was had by all – particularly as I emerged victorious from the ‘Clash of the Cocktails’ tasting against Ranald and Cameron!
LIMITED RELEASES
This year, we have released two different batches of limited edition whiskies from our distilleries so far.
In January, came the first batch which included our Springbank 18yo, Springbank 30yo, Longrow 100 PROOF Batch 2, and Kilkerran 8yo Cask Strength (Bourbon).
Last month, we released the Springbank 12yo Cask Strength, Springbank 1994 VINTAGE, Hazelburn 7yo Oloroso Cask Matured, and Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 14.
Later this summer, we will release our third batch of limited edition whiskies which will include the new Springbank 18yo, Springbank 21yo, and Kilkerran 16yo.
These whiskies will be available to purchase through the usual retail channels.
COUNTDOWN COLLECTION
In March, we unveiled the fourth release in our five-part Countdown Collection, a series commemorating Springbank’s journey towards its 200th anniversary in 2028.
This edition featured a stunning 29-year-old Springbank, vatted from a marriage of two Refill Sherry Hogsheads and one Rum Barrel.
Having matured entirely within our warehouses in Campbeltown, these casks combined to create a whisky that reflects nearly three decades of patient ageing and traditional craftsmanship.
As with every release in the Countdown Collection, availability was extremely limited, with just 500 bottles produced worldwide.
Whisky enthusiasts from around the globe were given the opportunity to secure a bottle through a ballot, ensuring a fair chance to own this sought-after expression.
As with each release in the Countdown Collection, purchasers who return the entry slip enclosed with their certificate will be entered into an exclusive prize draw, which will take place the following year.
Prizes:
1st Prize – Whisky School (worth £2,000)
2nd Prize – Eat Sleep Dram, Repeat experience for two (worth £1,900)
3rd Prize – Barley to Bottle experience for two (worth £500)
Owners of the 2026 Countdown Collection 29-Year-Old Springbank have until 1st January 2027 to submit their entry slip for inclusion in the draw.
Entry slips should be returned to:
Springbank Distillers Ltd,
9 Bolgam Street,
Campbeltown, Argyll,
Scotland, PA28 6HZ
Good luck to all entrants!
SOCIETY BOTTLING
In May, the first Springbank Society bottling of 2026 was released; a small batch 28-year-old Springbank which spent its first 25 years maturing in Fresh Port Hogsheads, before being transferred into Refill Bourbon Hogsheads in 2023 for a further three years.
We bottled this whisky in 35cl bottles to ensure maximum availability to our members.
This is the oldest Springbank bottled for the Society since our last 28-year-old release in 2021.
The next Society bottling is scheduled for release later this year. Further details will be announced in due course.
MALTS FESTIVAL 2026
As part of the 2026 Campbeltown Malts Festival, we were delighted to once again welcome visitors from around the world to our Springbank and Kilkerran Open Days in May.
The Campbeltown Malts Festival has expanded significantly over the years and now features Springbank, Kilkerran, and Cadenhead’s events throughout the week, running from Monday to Saturday.
A massive thank you to everyone who took part and helped make the week such a special success!
Building on the success of the last two years, we once again kicked-off the Campbeltown Malts Festival week with a Springbank Charity Tasting and BBQ at the Washback Bar on Monday night.
Attendees were treated to a remarkable line-up of exclusive vintage drams from the private collection of Mr. Peter Greve, alongside a premium local seafood and fillet steak barbecue.
We extend our sincere thanks to Peter, whose continued generosity in supplying bottles from his own personal collection has made it possible for us to host this special event for a third year running.
Funds raised from this tasting have now been distributed to local charities and community projects through the J&A Mitchell & Co. Ltd. Community Fund, supporting worthwhile causes across the Kintyre area.
During the festival, we hosted three complimentary Springbank Society tastings in the Malt Barns on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the festival week.
This year, we decided to do something a little different by holding a Blind Tasting Challenge.
Six drams were presented without any information and attendees had to fill in their guesses on tasting mats for the expression, cask type, age and ABV of each whisky.
Congratulations to this year’s winner – Martin Brendel, who scored 14.5 points out of 27!
Martin was presented with a one-of-one 70cl bottling of the most recent Springbank Society 28yo Port into Bourbon.
Following the success of our first-ever Local Barley Farm Tours at last year’s festival, we were delighted to bring them back for the 2026 Campbeltown Malts Festival.
Across the Monday and Tuesday, participants were collected by mini-bus from the gates of Springbank Distillery and taken on a tour of three local farms, where they had the opportunity to see the fields that supply barley for some of our Local Barley releases.
The tours offered a unique insight into the agricultural side of whisky production and the close relationships we have built with local farmers in the Campbeltown area.
While visiting the farms, guests enjoyed four drams, including a 10-month-old Local Barley spirit, two previously officially released Local Barley bottlings, and an exclusive single cask sample destined to be used in the vatting for a special future release.
A big thank you to David and Sean from Glencraigs Farm for their support throughout the tours and for sharing their expertise on barley cultivation on Scotland’s west coast with our guests.As Findlay previously discussed in his Production Update, one of the highlights of this year’s Malts Festival was the official opening of our new £6.2 million Bottling Hall, located on the site of Glengyle Distillery.
The opening ceremony was led by J&A Mitchell Chairman, Neil Clapperton, who reflected on the journey to bring the project to completion before officially declaring the bottling hall open. Neil then invited local Campbeltown resident, Gillian MacIntyre, to cut the ribbon and officially open the site, marking an important milestone in the continued growth of our company.
Following the ceremony, visitors were invited to tour the new facility and see the bottling operations firsthand.
To commemorate the occasion, guests were treated to prosecco and drams of the special Springbank 8yo Fresh Sherry release, bottled exclusively for the opening and limited to just 1,200 bottles.
We would like to thank everyone who joined us to mark this special occasion!
On Wednesday evening, 100 guests joined us for our annual Springbank Dinner. This year, rather than hosting the event in the Malt Barns, we welcomed attendees to our recently vacated old bottling hall, giving everyone a final opportunity to experience the space before it is repurposed into a cask warehouse later this year.
The evening began with a champagne reception in the Garden of Peace, nestled between Springbank and Glengyle, before guests took part in a blind tasting of three 19yo Longrow whiskies. The line-up featured one whisky matured in Fino Sherry and two matured in Oloroso Sherry.
From there, guests were led to the old bottling hall by the newly formed Springbank Campbeltown Pipe Band, adding a memorable touch to the evening’s proceedings.
Before taking their seats for a three-course meal, attendees were invited to vote for their favourite dram from the blind tasting, judging each whisky solely on its flavour and character.
While enjoying their meal prepared by our very own, Donald Brown, guests tasted three exceptional whiskies. These included a 1998 Hazelburn Cask Sample in Bourbon, a 1992 Glenlossie Cask Sample in Bourbon, and a preview of the Springbank 30 Year Old 2026 Open Day Bottling, which was due to be released the following day.
Attendees also enjoyed access to an open bar, where they had the opportunity to sample all of the soon-to-be-released 2026 Open Day bottlings alongside a selection of exclusive Cadenhead’s releases.
Once the votes had been counted, the winning cask was sent straight to the new bottling hall, where it was bottled in time for each guest to take home their very own 70cl at the end of the evening.
This year’s winning whisky was Cask No. 2 – a 19-year-old Longrow matured in Fresh Oloroso Sherry at 57.7% ABV. 🥃
On Thursday, 21st May, we hosted our annual Springbank Open Day as part of the Campbeltown Malts Festival.
As always, we welcomed visitors from near and far to enjoy a packed programme of activities, including free distillery tours, local food and craft stalls, festival bars, live music, tastings, and the opportunity to purchase this year’s exclusive festival bottlings.
Alongside the Open Day festivities, guests also had the chance to take part in a range of tastings, including the Longrow Tasting and The Art (and Science) of Malting, the Springbank Tasting, the Cage Bottle Tasting, and the New & Forthcoming Tasting, offering a deeper insight into our whiskies and production processes.
A major attraction of the day was the release of our highly anticipated festival bottlings at 10am, including the Springbank 30yo, Hazelburn 17yo Oloroso and Longrow 5yo Chardonnay.
The Springbank Open Day drew to a close with a spectacular performance from the Springbank Campbeltown Pipe Band, who played excellently and entertained hundreds of the festival-goers who gathered to watch.
The Kilkerran Open Day took place on Friday, 22 May 2026, at Glengyle Distillery marking one of the highlights of this year’s Malts Festival.
Running from 10am until 6:30pm, we welcomed hundreds of whisky enthusiasts for a celebration of everything Kilkerran.
As the distillery gates opened, many festival-goers made a beeline for the shop in hopes of securing a bottle of the Kilkerran 7yo Triple Distilled Single Cask Open Day Bottling before it sold out.
Attendees also explored a range of local craft and food stalls, sampled drams at the popular Lucky Dip Bar and other festival bars, and enjoyed live music throughout the day.
Guests were treated to a packed programme of events, including complimentary tours of Glengyle Distillery and a variety of specially curated tastings.
Among these tastings was the thought-provoking “There’s a HOORA Peat in that Kilkerran. Or Is There?” session, the much-anticipated Big Kilkerran Tasting, and the lively Clash of the Cocktails competition.
Following its popularity at last year’s festival, Kilkerran Blending Sessions returned for 2026, with Donald Brown and Melanie Stanger hosting sessions at 11am and 1:30pm.
Participants sampled six different single cask samples before trying their hand at creating their own bespoke blend, with each guest taking a unique 20cl bottle home as a memento for the day.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another memorable celebration of Campbeltown whisky at next year’s Malts Festival.
Mark your calendars…
Monday, 24th – Saturday, 29th May 2027
THE JAM EXPERIENCE
Discover the very best of Springbank, Kilkerran and Cadenhead’s with our new three-night JAM Experience.
Designed for groups of two to eight guests, this unique package offers an immersive journey into the world of J & A Mitchell & Co. Ltd., combining behind-the-scenes access, exclusive tastings and comfortable accommodation in the heart of Campbeltown.
Guests will stay at Distillery House, located just steps from Springbank Distillery, making it the perfect base from which to explore our distilleries, warehouses and historic town.
During your stay, you’ll enjoy all-access tours of Springbank and Kilkerran, exclusive warehouse tastings, a Cadenhead’s blending session, a historic walking tour of Campbeltown, and a tasting featuring new and forthcoming J & A Mitchell releases.
Lunches at The Washback Bar and Cadenhead’s Tasting Room are also included.
The package is available year-round (excluding the Campbeltown Malts Festival and the Christmas/New Year holiday period) and is designed as a private booking for a single group.
Pricing:
£950 for exclusive hire of Distillery House for three nights. £350 per person for guests participating in the distillery experiences.
Whether you’re a long-time enthusiast or looking to deepen your appreciation of Campbeltown whisky, The JAM Experience offers an unforgettable opportunity to immerse yourself in everything that makes Springbank, Kilkerran and Cadenhead’s so special.
DISCOVER MORE HERE
TASTING PACKS
In June, we released our sixth Tasting Pack set through cadenhead.shop, giving customers the opportunity to combine their tasting pack purchase with other products and potentially save on shipping costs. This pack contained 2cl samples from our January and June 2026 limited releases, including the highly anticipated Springbank 1994 Vintage.
THANK YOU
From everyone at J & A Mitchell & Co. Ltd, we’d like to thank our Springbank Society members for being part of our community. We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of the Society newsletter, and we look forward to bringing you more exclusive updates, stories, and releases soon.
Until next time… Slàinte! 🥃
