Whiskeytemple_Vladimir 
Оценка: 85/100. Цена: около 70 лв.
Hazelburn 12 y.o. single malt whisky
More than half a year go, for the first time I touched a sample of 12-year-old Hazelburn, distilled at Springbank. This happened thanks to a friend who provided me with a sample of it. I hadn’t a big idea what this whisky was. It turned out that as a rule it is not peat smoked and is distilled three times, which to some extent suggests that it should not be very fragrant. I tried it and I thought I caught peat, which surprised me, considering the writing two lines ago. So, I promised myself to try a sample of another batch, which to be like „control“ tasting. Well, I fulfilled my promise.
The first drops of Hazelburn ran down in the early 19th century in the eponymous distillery. It operated for about hundred years, when it was purchased by Mitchell & Co, which almost immediately stopped production. Barely in 2005, on the market was released 8-year-old distillate, and in 2009 the 12-year-old, which is non-chill filtered and has an alcohol content of 46%.
What happened at the second tasting?
Aroma – sweetness, honey, dried fruits, light grassy notes, traces of smoke, spiciness and caramel. I added water. It strengthened the caramel and fruits /bananas/. Taste – spicy, strong and expressive, peppery, slightly peaty, light medicinal notes, sweetness, fruity and oily, unleashing salivation. With water – more sweetness and ginger. Finish – medium to long, sweet, honey, ‘earthy’ note, traces of dried fruits. With water – more dried fruits, raisins and candied apricots.
Assessment: 85/100. Price: around 70 lv.
In summary: yes, I found peat again. I do not mean a strong peat presence, but rather weak hints, that might be due to the use of distillers, who are also used for the heavily peated Longrow, as well as for the basic Springbank whisky, bearing the same name.
