I’m going to say something that might get me in trouble with the whisky community. It’s a thought I’ve held for a while, and one that goes against an overwhelming tide of popular opinion. Before the Campbeltown cult descends on me, hear me out. This is not a hit piece, but an honest assessment. I respect Springbank, I admire their ethos, but I am not their biggest fan. I think it’s time we had a serious conversation about the myth, the hype, and whether this whisky is truly worth the price tag and the chase.
First, let’s give credit where it is due. Springbank’s reputation is built on an incredible foundation. As one of the last family-owned distilleries in Campbeltown, they do everything their own way, from floor malting their barley to bottling non-chill-filtered whisky at respectable strengths. They are the indie band of the whisky world: raw, authentic, and full of character. Having worked in marketing for years, I find their approach fascinating. Their marketing is having no marketing. The basic labels, the limited supply, and the refusal to engage in modern hype have, through a kind of reverse psychology, made them the most hyped distillery of all.
This mystique, combined with limited supply, has an inevitable side effect: a frenzied secondary market. A brand that prides itself on being humble and traditional now fuels auctions, with bottles flipping for two, three, or even ten times their retail price. The irony is palpable. This scarcity has turned a distillery that champions tradition into a collector’s item, and I dread to think what percentage of Springbank bottles are now hoarded on shelves instead of being opened and enjoyed. A whisky’s legend should come from the liquid, not its rarity.
This brings me to my biggest struggle: the price. The Springbank 10 Year Old, once a £35 secret handshake among enthusiasts, now commands around £60 at retail, if you can even find it. For that price, the world of excellent whisky is wide open. You could have an Arran 10, a Ben Nevis 10, or the fantastic Port Charlotte 10, all of which are enthusiast-focused, complex, and readily available. Springbank makes great whisky. It is oily, coastal, and wonderfully funky in a way few others are brave enough to be. But tasting it blind, away from the hype, does it consistently outperform its peers at that price point? For me, not always.The Best Whiskies I Tasted in 2025, and Why They Stayed With Me
Ultimately, Springbank’s story is a cornerstone of whisky history, and their focus on authenticity is something to be admired. I was thrilled to finally get my hands on a full bottle. But there is a difference between something being rare and something being spectacular, and our brains sometimes blur that line. It is okay to enjoy this whisky without worshipping it. So I have to ask: is the liquid in the glass truly untouchable, or has the legend started to outgrow the reality?
For a more detailed breakdown and to see the whisky for yourself, you can watch my full video on the subject.
Read the full article at Confessions of a Springbank Skeptic
