Campbeltown, once the whisky capital of the world with over 30 distilleries crammed into the compact fishing town, produces a whisky of its own style.
That Campbeltown style has altered somewhat but remains unique and is one recognised by whisky connoisseurs the world over.
Altogether there are four whisky regions: Highland, Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown.
Highland
A vast area, it incorporates the distilleries built beside the fast-running burns off Speyside; the islands from sparsely populated Jura, home to the Golden Eagle, to the windswept Orkneys; Pulteney and Clynelish in northern mainland Scotland; Oban to the west; Glengarioch to the east and even Glengoyne just a short distance from Glasgow. The styles of whisky are as diverse and striking as the countryside in which the distilleries are set.
Lowland
Distilleries are found south of a line from Greenock to Dundee. Their numbers are falling now and Lowland whisky is becoming increasingly hard to find, which is a shame as its soft, delicate nature is a prime element in the spectrum of Scotch whisky.
Islay
The most dramatic malts are from the beautiful Hebridean island of Islay; peaty, earthy, heavy with iodine, sometimes oily and enormously complex. Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich are the exceptions to the seven distilleries still on stream, both producing much lighter yet unmistakably island styles of whisky.
Campbeltown
Then there is Campbeltown, with Springbank and Glen Scotia both maturing mellow whiskies yet with a salty, sea-breeze freshness. Of the two whiskies Springbank, weightier and more complex, is considered the region's classic. In fact, Springbank is considered a classic malt per se, a jewel that would be glittering in the crown of any region.
