Hazelburn 14 Years Oloroso Cask Matured 3 cl. (Tasting Sample) 49,3%

Hazelburn 14 Years Oloroso Cask Matured 49.3% is a triple-distilled, unpeated single malt from Campbeltown, produced at Springbank distillery under the Hazelburn label. Distilled in 2004 and matured for 14 years exclusively in Oloroso sherry casks, it was bottled in 2019 at 49.3% ABV, with no chill filtration and no added colour. The result is a rich, sherry-driven yet elegant whisky where soft, oily spirit meets layers of dried fruit, nuts, chocolate and classic Campbeltown character.

Producer – Hazelburn / Springbank

Hazelburn represents the unpeated, triple-distilled side of the Springbank family (alongside lightly peated Springbank and heavily peated Longrow). Everything is done on site in Campbeltown, from floor malting to bottling. Hazelburn’s style combines a slightly rustic, coastal backbone with an especially clean and silky texture, making it an ideal partner for full Oloroso maturation.

This 14-year-old Oloroso Cask Matured edition spent its entire life in sherry casks and is bottled at a natural, highly drinkable strength around 49%.

Nose

The nose is deep, dark and firmly sherried:

• raisins, plums, dates, black cherries

• marzipan, demerara sugar, treacle, sticky toffee and a hint of wood shavings

• fruit-and-nut chocolate, dark chocolate mocha, berry coulis and caramelised walnuts

• leather, soft tobacco, a touch of earth and a faint mineral, salty edge

With time in the glass, summer berries appear – strawberry jam, raspberries – along with almonds, pecan cake, nutty praline and a gentle coffee and cocoa note.

Palate

On the palate, the whisky is full-bodied, oily and creamy, with a warming but well-behaved alcohol.

• The arrival brings homemade strawberry jam, sweet orange zest, brandy snaps and white-chocolate crème brûlée.

• The mid-palate develops into milk chocolate, raspberries, blueberry muffins, pear drops, caramel and toffee.

• The casks add structure: leather, nuts, polished oak, coffee grounds, cocoa and a slightly oily, almost rubbery Springbank signature.

Even though Hazelburn is unpeated, there are suggestions of “ghost smoke” via tobacco, mocha and bittersweet dark orange.

Finish

The finish is medium-long to long:

• salted caramel and gentle pepper spice

• chocolate orange, creamy coffee liqueur, mocha, cocoa nibs and a hint of cola

• buttered popcorn, roasted coffee beans and a dry, oaky edge with grapefruit peel and light bitterness keeping the sweetness in check

Overall it is rich and sherry-heavy, but with enough structure and dryness to stay balanced and very moreish.

Serving & style

Hazelburn 14 Years Oloroso Cask Matured is best enjoyed neat in a tulip-shaped glass after a short rest. A few drops of water help to open up more red fruits, citrus, nuts and chocolate while softening the oak and spice.

This is a great choice if you enjoy:

• full-on Oloroso sherry maturation without peat

• oily, coastal Campbeltown whisky

• complex layers of dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, coffee and subtle “funk” in the background