Musings on the future while tasting Hazelburn
There had been a two year hiatus in the release of the regular Hazelburn 10 years old, so fans of the triple distilled unpeated brand from the Springbank stills rejoiced when a new bottle hit the market. We had seen the occasional special release of Hazelburn, to keeps us hooked, but the regular release is a hard one to beat. While visiting Campbeltown in January 2026 I picked up on an interesting theory. With a lot of shuffling in capacity going to happen at the J & A Mitchell facilities, mostly the opening of the new bottling hall and a drum maltings for Glengyle Distillery, there might well be a capacity increase in the works. More Springbank, more Kilkerran, but also more Longrow and more Hazelburn? I heard whispers of Hazelburn, which is a branded concept of triple distillation more than an actual distillery, being produced at Glengyle. Just a theory of course. Having tasted the triple distilled Kilkerran anomalies, I can’t say this would be wise. Hazelburn coming from Springbank stills has value. But from a production standpoint, it would not be a bad idea. What do you think? Ponder your thoughts while we taste two Hazelburn today!
Hazelburn 10 years old, filled in 2025, bottled at 46 % abv
First things first: Matured on bourbon casks, this single malt is triple distilled at Springbank Distillery from unpeated barley, as has been done since 1997. Hazelburn is one of the lost distilleries of Campbeltown, of which you can actually still see buildings near Tesco.
Upon Sipping: I am a big fan of Hazelburn in this undisturbed form, just plain fruity with an overload of oranges and tangerines. Maybe even more so than in the Springbank 10. Vanilla pods, freshly washed clothes that dried on the line, some grass in the summer air. And then the limestone sets in, mingled with a bag of candy gummies. You will get sticky fingers from this one. The rather fatty spirit covers the tongue with a warm wave of stone fruit and juicy vanilla. The simplicity of this brilliance makes you understand why Springbank does not really need a master blender. Just throw ten or twenty of these 10 year old casks together, and you are done. The finish has a fruity fresh but strong kick to it. Some bitter hints remain after a while. Water brings out some herbal issues that are not really adding anything to the drinking pleasure. Enjoy it neat.
Word to the Wise: The undisputed best of triple distilled whisky made in Scotland. Auchentoshan, take notes. This is totally Campbeltown, even though Northern Ireland is at a stone’s throw, but it has so much backbone compared to Irish whiskey. This is unique stuff. Long live Hazelburn!
Score: 88 points.
Hazelburn 19 years old, Open Day 2025, bottled at 49,2 % abv
First things first: Matured in Fresh Tawny Port casks. This Hazelburn was bottled in two thousand 35 cl bottles on 28 April 2025, available for the Open Day 2025.
Upon Sipping: Mature Hazelburn is always a delight, but how did the port behave? It was quite an impact, on first nosing, as the smells are rather meaty. Also, some gunpowder creeps in. I have trouble finding the wonderful fruits that were so apparent in the Hazelburn 10. The taste is surprisingly delicate, in contrast with the aroma, but the port wood influences lies as a film over the liquid. Only when you swallow, you get a big burst of red fruits, which I really adore. Let’s see if we can lure these fruity elements out on the nose too. But no, the nose remains a closed affair, besides the dirtier, rough notes. The taste becomes sweeter, almost tropical, which I do tend to find in older Hazelburn. Sadly, there are not a lot around. May we hope for a 30 years old in the year of the bicentennial, coming up in 2028? Maybe a lost parcel of casks somewhere, who knows.
Word to the Wise: This is an interesting Hazelburn of course, but it lacks integration. Only with a lot of time will you get some fruity notes on the nose, but mostly the port dictates the talk. Nice to try, anecdotal bottling.
Score: 85 points.