Thursday, February 2, 2023
  • Login
CEO North America
  • Home
  • Business
    • Entrepreneur
    • Industry
    • Innovation
    • Management & Leadership
  • CEO Interviews
  • CEO Life
    • Art & Culture
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    • Environment
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Multimedia
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
    • Entrepreneur
    • Industry
    • Innovation
    • Management & Leadership
  • CEO Interviews
  • CEO Life
    • Art & Culture
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    • Environment
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Multimedia
No Result
View All Result
CEO North America
No Result
View All Result

‘It’s legendary for its quality’: Springbank 1919, a record-breaking single malt

in Food
‘it’s legendary for its quality’: springbank 1919, a record-breaking single malt
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A whisky created by a little-known artisanal distillery in a seaside village more than a century ago — and bottled 50 years later — has become a holy grail among connoisseurs. One of just 24 bottles ever made comes to Christie’s this December

The year 1919, sandwiched between the end of the First World War and the start of the Depression, might not sound like an auspicious one. But to collectors of rare spirits, it is of great significance.

It was the year that Springbank, a small, family-run distillery in the village of Campbeltown on Scotland’s rugged west coast, created one of the world’s most coveted whiskies.

Since the 17th century, Campbeltown had been an infamous center for the production of bootleg whisky. The village’s close proximity to good coal, plentiful barley and pure water — as well as a maze of local lochs trawled by fishing sloops — made it the ideal spot for distilling and smuggling activities.

Campbeltown’s fortunes boomed, and over the following 200 years, one by one, the whisky businesses turned legitimate. Springbank was founded in 1828 by Archibald Mitchell, the descendant of a family of maltsters from the lowlands, on the site of his illicit still.

Within a few decades, Campbeltown had become the ‘Whisky Capital of the World’, and it was said that its 1,969 residents were the richest of any village in Britain.

By the beginning of the 20th century, however, many of the Campbeltown stills had run dry. War, recession and American prohibition decimated the market. The closure of a nearby mine, a shortage of oak casks and a fall from favor of the local whisky’s intense, peaty flavor only added to the problems.

As a result, the number of Springbank’s competitors in the area fell from more than 30 to just one.

‘It’s nothing short of a miracle that anything was distilled in 1919,’ says Noah May, head of the Wine and Spirits department at Christie’s.

Demand continued to dwindle, and more of Campbeltown’s whisky was poured into the local loch than bottled. Yet, fortunately, Springbank’s cask of 1919 single malt remained hidden away.

The company’s dedicated distiller would take a small sample from the barrel annually, until, after an almost unprecedented 50 years, in 1970, it was deemed ready for bottling.

What happens to whisky kept in a barrel for so long?

‘Well, 80 per cent of a whisky’s final character, including taste and color, comes from the barrel,’ says May. ‘In this case, Springbank used an oak cask, which gives the whisky deep notes of caramel and vanilla, as well as a golden tone.’

May also explains that, over time, the so-called ‘angels’ share’ of water and alcohol also evaporates from the barrel, leaving behind a more intensely flavored liquid.

‘This barrel would initially have contained about 200 liters of whisky,’ he says, ‘but after half a century the majority had been “shared”. In fact, there was only enough whisky left to fill 24 bottles.’

Today, particularly old expressions of whisky — especially single malts — are immensely popular, but rewind to the first half of the 20th century and this wasn’t the case. ‘Back then, the distilleries didn’t plan ahead and store their whisky for long periods,’ explains May. ‘That’s why there are so few vintages from this era with such a long maturation, which is what pushes their prices up now.’

Last August, a tiny 5cl bottle from the same cask of 1919 Springbank sold at auction for £6,440, becoming the world’s most expensive miniature.

In 2013, a full-size bottle from the batch of 24 sold for £50,000. In 2019, another fetched £266,200.

The bottle being offered at Christie’s in December — number four from the batch of 24 — remained cellared at Springbank until 1997, when it was purchased by the Queen’s grocers, Fortnum & Mason.

Springbank 1919, 50-Year-Old. 1 bottle per lot. Estimate: £200,000-280,000. Offered in Finest and Rarest Wines and Spirits, 2-3 December 2021 at Christie’s in London.

LONDON

2 – 3 DECEMBER 2021

(Courtesy Christie’s)

Tags: Single maltSpingbank 1919Whisky

Related Posts

Food delivery wars: duke professor says there’s a better way
Food

Food delivery wars: Duke professor says there’s a better way

Food for thought, thought for food
Food

Food for thought, thought for food

December consumer food insights report reveals steady food behaviors through economic change
Food

December Consumer Food Insights Report reveals steady food behaviors through economic change

Mars celebrates women with m&m’s packaging and $800,000 grants
Food

Mars celebrates women with M&M’S packaging and $800,000 grants

How to hire a private chef in 8 easy steps
Food

How To Hire A Private Chef In 8 Easy Steps

Food for the planet: 5 takeaways
Food

Food for the Planet: 5 Takeaways

Kraft heinz funds project turning sugar into fiber
Food

Kraft Heinz funds project turning sugar into fiber

6 important alcohol industry trends (2023-2026)
Food

6 Important Alcohol Industry Trends (2023-2026)

2023 grocery trends to watch
Food

2023 Grocery Trends to Watch

Hybrid wheat hitting u. S. Fields as climate and war threaten global food supplies
Food

Hybrid wheat hitting U.S. fields as climate and war threaten global food supplies

No Result
View All Result

Recent Posts

  • Tinder owner to lay off 8% of its staff as growth falters
  • Biden moves to slash U.S. credit card fees, app charges
  • New York City Votes To “Skip The Stuff” In Take-Out Orders
  • How to Test If Your Interview Process Is a Nightmare
  • The Next Era of Work Will Be About Skills, Not Pedigree

Recent Comments

    Archives

    Categories

    • Art & Culture
    • Business
    • CEO Interviews
    • CEO Life
    • Editor´s Choice
    • Entrepreneur
    • Environment
    • Food
    • Health
    • Highlights
    • Industry
    • Innovation
    • Issues
    • Management & Leadership
    • Multimedia
    • News
    • Opinion
    • PrimeZone
    • Printed Version
    • Travel
    • Uncategorized

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    • CONTACT
    • GENERAL ENQUIRIES
    • ADVERTISING
    • MEDIA KIT
    • DIRECTORY
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

    Editorials – stuart.james@ceo-na.com

    Editor-In-Chief – caroline.sposto@ceo-na.com

    Editorials – editorials@ceo-na.com

    Advertising – media@ceo-na.com

    NEW YORK

    110 Wall St.,
    3rd Floor
    New York, NY.
    10005
    USA
    +1 212 432 5800

     

    MEXICO CITY

    Paseo de la Reforma 296,
    Floor 38
    Mexico City
    06600
    MEXICO

    • CONTACT
    • GENERAL ENQUIRIES
    • ADVERTISING
    • MEDIA KIT
    • DIRECTORY
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

    Editorials –
    stuart.james@ceo-na.com

    Editor-In-Chief –

    caroline.sposto@ceo-na.com

    Editorials – editorials@ceo-na.com

    Advertising –
    media@ceo-na.com

    NEW YORK

    110 Wall St.,
    3rd Floor
    New York, NY.
    10005
    USA
    +1 212 432 5800

    MEXICO CITY

    Paseo de la Reforma 296,
    Floor 38
    Mexico City
    06600
    MEXICO

    CEO North America © 2022 - Sitemap

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • Business
      • Entrepreneur
      • Industry
      • Innovation
      • Management & Leadership
    • CEO Interviews
    • CEO Life
      • Art & Culture
      • Food
      • Health
      • Travel
      • Environment
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Multimedia

    © 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In