Hazelburn Online Tasting Week May 2021 15 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Collectors note: Springbank's labels almost always arrive with minor wearing and markings, most often to the top of the front labels. This is unavoidable. If you are likely to be disappointed by minor label scuffing, we recommend you don't buy these whiskies.

The Online Tasting Week was organised in 2021 and had multiple sessions in lieu of the usual in-person events, presumably due to Covid. Each session included exclusive whiskies from Springbank, Glengyle and Cadenheads. Described by some tasters as "more Springbanky", this cask strength Hazelburn featured in the May 2021 session and was limited to 1174 bottles drawn from fresh oloroso casks. 54.9% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. Collectable.

Other reviews... Colour: amber. Nose: a much cleaner sherry when compared to the North Star, but it does have these tiny eggy notes indeed, engine oil, soot, suet, coal smoke, then sweeter notes, cakes, raisins, dried figs, black nougat, pipe tobacco, crude chocolate… This one's certainly the most Springbanky of them three so far. With water: there, game sausages, high grouse, toffee, old red Bourgogne this time again, a little leather, pipe tobacco… Well, it sure is very oloroso-y. Mouth (neat): it's as if someone would have blended the two previous ones, as it's got both the NS's animal dirtiness and the OB's cleaner, more coastal vibrancy (for lack of a better term). Wonderful marmalade, allspice, chocolate, tobacco, a little ginger, mushrooms, a drop of Maggi, lovage, lemons, a little brine… All that while it's gaining fatness too. Big baby. With water: this time it would rather become a little sweeter, but some kind of chalky gingerness is there too, truffle oil (you pour that over any pizza and presto!) roasted chestnuts, earthy tea, roasted black raisins… Finish: very long, with some rancio wine this time. Even touches of PX that, we agree, shouldn't quite be there. The aftertaste is more on salted lemons, rather appropriately. Comments: an excellent so-called sherry monster with a distillate that's having its say too. Rather less meaty/dirty than the NS. 89 points - whiskyfun.com