Whisky Review: Hazelburn 14 Years Old 2000 Rum cask

• Category: Campbeltown single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Springbank distillery
• Bottling: J & A Mitchell & Co Ltd.
• ABV: 53.7%
• Cost: £60

What they say

Distilled 8th December 2000 and matured in a Fresh Rum Barrel for 14 Years before a sample bottle was collected for the cage at Cadenhead’s Campbeltown store on 21st August 2015.

Bottled at Cask Strength 53.7% ABV

What I say

Selected out of the Cadneheads Cage in their Campbelton shop personally. In the absence of anything jumping out at me I selected this Hazelburn expression as I find I always seem to prefer Hazelburn to Springbank or Longrow.

What we learnt during our visit is that the Hazelburn expressions are floor malted but then dried by blowing hot air through the kiln (i.e unpeated) as this process was occurring whilst we were there. This malt is then mashed, fermented and triple distilled at the Springbank distillery.

This has been matured in a fresh rum barrel for 14 years.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: White Burgundy (5/20), slow fine beads with tapered legs
• Nose: Sweet, brown sugar, toffee, fudge, citrus fruit, lemon and lime, apple & pear juice, vanilla, custard tarts, apple puree, oak wood.
• Taste: Sweet and sharp, fresh apple juice, lemon and lime and grapefruit citrus, both zest, peel and juices, lemon barley sugars, oak wood, gingery spice.
• Finish: Medium, spiced ginger and lime toffee, teeth-cleansing like polished toffee.

Overall

Sweet and spiced, pleasant but not overly complex, a good solid drinker.

Score 84/100

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