dhsilv2
Hazelburn 12 Year
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed
October 21, 2019 (edited June 23, 2020)
I swear, gets harder and harder to remember which bottles I've yet to review here. Will be nice once I finish reviewing my open bottles so I know they're all in here :)
Nose - sherry is the first thing that comes to mind. There's that classic springbank element here, I know some have called it sulfer but its' something else. It's sparky, gives me a bit of a vinegar note, oak is a part of it. It's almost like going into a rickhouse where wine has been spilled over the oak, it's gone a bit sour, but then I get a buttery bread and caramel.
Taste - There's a lot of oak on here, it might be the most oak forward springbank. The sherry I get in big ways on the nose is much more subtle here. I would guess a lot of the oak here is pretty tired and well used. It's sweet up front then turns bitter and given a bit sour, there's a bitter bite from oak tannin. The finish brings in some off sweetness almost an aspartame note (though it's not a bad thing as that note tend to be) and then it heats up on the mouth and brings with it more of the oak and sherry notes again. Just noticed but should note there's a bit of salt at the end I almost missed. Unpeated but I dunno, I get some elements of peat here all be it in low parts.
Hazelburn has been for me a weak spot in the springbank lineup (minus the oloros sherry 13 and 14 year bottles) and this is as springbank goes one of their lesser offerings. It doesn't drink like a 100+ dollar bottle of whisky. It is however complex as can be and frankly it's if not in the context of being a springbank, it's really good. Still I can't go over a 2.0 here. I would struggle to find who to recommend this one to. This is for someone who just wants to drink everything from Campbeltown of course I am most certainly one of.
107.0
USD
per
Bottle
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