Hazelburn 12 Year

I'm a huge fan of Springbank 12, and this – unsurprisingly – tastes like a smoother, less peaty version. As such, it's inherently a bit less interesting and alluring, but it's a finely made malt with a lot of Campbeltown character.

Drinking neat: Floral, fruity, white cake, frosting, tobacco, lemon meringue, spice, young oak, honeydew melon, burnt sugar, dessert wine, cologne. A sugar sweet whiskey with a big glorious floral/melon nose. Somewhat short with a sharp hot finish. The nose is irresistible and I can't get enough. The taste is enjoyable but I can't say I'm blown away by it. It's worth trying but not buying.

This triple distilled, almost Lowland-style variation of a Springbank malt claims to be unpeated. On the nose, there are orange zest, unripe apples and unexpected incense smoke. Hints of chocolate, dried fruits and marzipan indicate sherry cask influence. Arriving spicy and gingery, Hazelburn 12 tastes delicate and nutty with notes of roasted almonds, orange marmalade and coconuts. Traces of peat? Most definitely! The finish is of medium length, aromatic and oak-dominated. Altogether, an interesting but quite expensive Campbeltown single malt. RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 84 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE

Nicely made. Peaty but not overwhelming.