Hazelburn is the only unpeated, triple distilled Springbank spirit, in a somewhat lighter style. Since 2017 there tends to be a limited Oloroso Cask version. I was impressed by the 2018 edition so let’s see how the September 2020 release compares.
Hazelburn 13 yo 2007 – Oloroso Cask Matured (50,3%, OB 2020, 9900 btl.)
Nose: a fairly subtle Oloroso influence, which leaves enough room for the character of the spirit. Really earthy, evoking the dunnage warehouses. Walnut oil and leather. Tobacco leaves. Orange peel. Hints of camphor and some chocolate / roast coffee beans in the distance. Very light whiffs of gunpowder. Heaps of character.
Mouth: a surprisingly sweet onset, with demerara sugar, dried fig and sweet plums. Mocha and caramel coated nuts. Still some garage elements and old guns, mixed with leather and dark chocolate. Burnt vanilla pastry. Tobacco leaves and a lingering peppery note. Blood orange in the end.
Finish: quite long, with herbal and spicy notes, coffee beans, brown sugar and old, dusty wood.
With Springbank you never really know what you’ll get from a sherry cask, in my opinion. Sometimes fruity, sometimes really dry, sometimes overtly sulphury… In the case of this Hazelburn it’s leafy and slightly dirty, missing the fruits of the 2018 edition. On the other hand it’s complex and has a nice old-school character. Originally around € 85, still available in some places.