Nose - lemon, orange zest, apple, toffee, vanilla, floral notes, flint, apricot, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - apple, salted caramel, vanilla, lemon, orange, pineapple, floral notes, bitter walnut, nutmeg, chocolate, sweet oak, flint, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with apple, sour citrus, and floral flavors. So the 2020 version of the Hazelburn 13 was amazing. How does the 2021 release hold up? While the other was 100% fresh oloroso cask matured, this is a combination of 25% oloroso and 75% bourbon casks. And it shows. The nose is much more similar to the standard Hazelburn 10 Year’s than it is to last year’s release. It’s lemony with creamy caramel and vanilla alongside fresh apples and a sweet floral quality. The palate leans more heavily on apples, sour citrus, and a bitter, not quite tannic, nuttiness. The mouthfeel is average as is the finish. I don’t like this nearly as much as the 2020 version. It drinks like a beefed up Hazelburn 10 Year, which isn’t bad but it’s not special like the other is. While the other has a bit of youth, it was much more masked than it is here with the preponderance of bourbon casks. And it detracts from the experience. Still, it’s good and I’d happily drink this. But I wouldn’t happily buy a bottle of it. Many thanks to @pkingmartin for providing the generous sample!