...where distraction is the main attraction.

Friday, October 14, 2022

Hazelburn 21 year old, bottled 2022

Yes, like Longrow, Hazelburn now has an official 21 year old built from a mix of sherry and bourbon casks, with a 3600-bottle outturn. I know the whisky world was more excited about the simultaneously-bottled Springbank 30yo, but how many of those 30s are actually going to be opened and appreciated, let alone shared or split? Meanwhile, the Hazelburn 21 is going for 1/10th of the Springer's price on the secondary market. It's not cheap, but it's considerably cheaper. Cheers to baby Hazelburn getting older!

Distillery: Springbank
Owner: J&A Mitchell
Brand: Hazelburn
Region: Campbeltown
Age: at least 21 years old
Maturation70% sherry casks + 30% bourbon casks
Bottled: 22 April 2022
Outturn: 3,600 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Honey, anise, toasted oak spice and orange blossoms appear in the nose first. Darker elements arrive next: earthy molasses, brine, Fee Brothers black walnut bitters (which neither taste nor smell like black walnuts), and a hint of wood smoke. Raw walnuts and more smoke develop with time.

Oranges, molasses, dried cherries and dry nutty Oloroso form the palate's base. Menthol and moderate bitterness fill in the middle. More molasses and raw nut notes appear after 30+ minutes.

It finishes with raw walnuts, orange peel, dried cherries and menthol.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Yep, Hazelburn now makes big kid whisky as the brand enters its third decade. And I hope the 21 becomes a permanent addition to the standard range......if the ownership chooses to go with a standard Hazelburn range. Anyway, the Hazelburn 21 is of a similar high quality as the Longrow 21. The sherry casks lead the way, but the fortified wine was of a dry, lean sort so it meets the spirit well without overwhelming it. I do get the feeling that if they had let these casks sit until they hit 25yo then this would have become too woody. Another bit of good cask management over there on Well Close.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - Not cheap
Rating - 88