This blended Campbeltown malt from North Star Spirits contains some early to mid-90s Springbank and Glen Scotia, with presumably a much larger portion, of 2015 vintage Sprinbank. With 1554 bottles produced by the vatting, your guess is as good as mine as to the exact proportions of each whisky: its possible the 1995 Springbank and 1992 Glen Scotia were just single hogsheads, with the other 90% or so of the blend being the younger malt. Could it be those older casks had very little liquid actually remaining in them, or perhaps had fallen under proof, or someone just needed to clear out some space in the ye olde warehouse?  Such is the mystery of the malt!

I tried ordering this online and having it shipped to me, however the package was lost in transit. When I passed through Japan a month later, I came across the bottle in the Ginza Shinanoya store, and promptly bought one for a bit cheaper than I was originally going to pay. I knew when I saw it, the whisky gods had spoken.

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Whisky: Campbeltown Connection Blended Malt 10 Year (2015), North Star Spirits

Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown

ABV: 50.7%

Cask: First Fill Bourbon, Refill Hogshead

Age: 10 Years (Distilled 2015, Bottled 2025)

Notes: Sweet creamy butter and the sea; there was sea salt, cream, fats, and slightly floral vanilla— like a soft summer cheese. Cheesier notions lingered in the background with more minerality and spirited pepper as driftwood and seashells appeared with passionfruit curd and salted caramel. Peaches and mango teased around the edges, though it was always more like the cheese board after it has been cleared than a full spread. Medium-bodied on the palate, the flavors were similar, though the creaminess was toned down and more maritime and coastal brine came to the fore. A touch of peppery spirit and minerals, like sea shells and dried coral, met tropical citrus and a bit of earthy ginger with wispy smoke in the background. The finish was medium-length with a gentle pepper, brine, wispy smoke, driftwood, and citrus rinds.

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Score: 7-8 (85)

Mental Image: Coastal Cow’s Seashell Necklace

Conclusion: It was impossible to pick any specific elements from those 1990s casks in this blend, perhaps the creaminess, the floral hints on the nose, who knows. But also, who cares?  The whisky was delightfully coastal and creamy with mellow fruits and wispy smoke— it felt a bit like transposing Campbeltown to the tropics.

For the price, I loved this so much that I shared it with everyone around me, and quickly went about ordering p a second bottle, along with the Islay version of the blend. Suffice to say, the fill level of this bottle dropped rapidly and within six months was gone entirely.  Will I get a third? I am tempted, the price to quality ratio was so strong, but there is also so much more whisky out there (or still sitting in my closet wondering why I let this skip ahead of the queue), so I probably will not.