Hazelburn 12 Year Oloroso Cask Matured

For those that enjoy sherry finished whisky, thisbis a sherry pleasure. So rich, full body. The only downfall is the price. I found mine for a good price, had the chance to get the 15, but it was almost $200 USD more. So i took the 12.

Springbank Whisky Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 17 April 2024, Whisky #3 Bottle code 17/11/22 – 22/2320 Nose: Lemon zest, damp earth, autumn leaves, leather, brine, petrichor, senega, tobacco, medium sherry. Water initially makes very little difference to the nose but once diluted, and after resting for a while, there is a touch of maple syrup and caramel. Palate: Forceful arrival with oily decaying fruit, farmyard earthiness and manure, salt-cured meat, mineral oil and olive brine. A little mint or menthol in the later development together with salted nuts and tobacco. Although it is a bold and characterful palate it is also crisp and clean. The texture is oily and persistant. Finish: Medium. Dusty leaves on old dirt paths in summer. Dried figs, lanolin and old fruity malt extract. A fine whisky that showcases the uncompromising farmyard character of this malt. Hazelburn distillate is more usually matured in ex-bourbon, but sherry casks bring greater depth and an interesting medium-dry fruit quality to the whisky. It is also a whisky that absolutely loves water. If you have only tasted Hazelburn neat and have a prejudice against watering your whisky then for once take a chance and add a full teaspoon of water to your dram. It transforms the texture from oily to vivacious creaminess, but most importantly it melds all the distinctive (and for some people offputting) farmyard characteristics into a complex and complete whole that is way more than just the sum of the parts. There has been a series of these oloroso cask Hazelburn expressions and they are uniformly delightful. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

Oak and sherry finish over a nice golden body. @Zslug Thanks Jon!

Nose: dried fruit, cola, fruit gummies, orange marmalade Palate: cola, oak spice, rubber

Sometimes you just want to be happy. You don't need to wax and wain over 200 flavors. You don't want to spend hours over it. You just want it to be perfect. This is that whisky Nose - Sweet funky sherry malt. Taste - Oily, viscous and rich. Fruity and yet sharp and slightly acidic. Finishing in a wave of flavor an intensity that rivals most peated 60% bombs. I could and I will go into more depth on a video review, but that's all just so much excessive detail. The reality is this just works. It's shockingly bold for 49.9%. It's got a finish that no 12 year whisky should be able to have. It's just perfect And perfect....that's a 4 star review all day. 4.25 because it's just that good. This won't change your life so lets not go 5 star.

Nose: Honeydew Melon, Campbeltown f u n k, brown sugar, syrup, sweet cinnamon, fresh bread, black cherry, raisin. Palate: Leather, Cinnamon, macerated fruit, dates, sherry oak tannins, cranberry,umami finish, tobacco aftertaste. A great tasting whisky, Hazelburn seems to consistently have a nose that is incredibly complex but the palate itself isn't quite as nuanced. This bottling balnances the dry and tannic notes with some of the sweeter dark fruit notes that appear in other offerings from Springbank, a perfect example, the Springbank 15. Where Springbank 15 is overly tannic the Hazelburn 12 seems to be the sweet spot for a sweet/dry whisky with plenty of sweet notes on the front with dryer sherry cask tannins influencing the finish. I would have given it a higher rating but the price where I am is fucking insane.