Average score from 7 reviews and 9 ratings 83
Nose: old hay, the high Oregon desert after a rain, slightly rancid cream on its way to becoming yogurt, Asian pear, wet iron.
Palate: Smooth tequila, green apple, pond water (my equivalent of what many critics call "wet cardboard), sour barley malt, 1970's-style second shelf scotch (in a good way).
Finish: Medium short length. Taste is somewhat flat, with a little more cereal maltiness. Granny Smith apple, graham cracker crust, vanilla "soft" ice cream.
When I was in Chicago a while back I picked up the Springbank Trio of CV’s. Basically, this was three bottles of 200mL each of Springbank CV, Longrow CV, and Hazleburn CV. Here is my impression of the Hazelburn
Nose: Very hot on the front end. Lemongrass dominates the fore. Hay, pine resin, along with astringent antiseptic. Nice and clean with barest hint of peat in the background; elusive and evocative. Now, even more grassy with a bit of wet hay.
Taste: Honey and lemongrass fight with salt and violets swirling around lemon peel.
Finish: Grassy with some perfume notes and a hint of lemon peel at the end. Medium short
Balance, Complexity: All in all I would say that this is a very balanced single malt. The lemon and grass really seem to be the main forces at work. There is also some acid or astringency that causes everything to pop and seem really bright. It tastes like watching a movie with a yellow tint. I’ll give it a few points for balance but not as much for complexity.
Aesthetic experience: Light gold. Light bodied but strong on the alcohol side. Maybe this would be better down a notch? Like 43%? Either way, I like this for a non peaty beverage. Love the Cambeltown thing (non-chill filtered, no coloring, high ABV).
Conclusion: Hazelburn is not my cup of tea. As with Ardbeg's Blasda and un-peated Caol Ila . . . it is an interesting peek at a distillery for people who hate peat. For people like me this makes as much sense and decaffeinated coffee. For those of you who hate peat but would like to try Cambeltown give this one a try. I won’t re-buy.
I agree with you here, as well. This one did not grab me until it had sat in the bottle for at least two months. It needs time in the bottle, to be sure.
After opening the bottle, of course
Nose: old hay, fresh cut turf, barley malt, Asian pear, wet iron.
Palatte: A little tequila, Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, green apple, pond water, sour barley malt.
Finish: Medium short length. Taste is flat, with a little more cereal maltiness. Sour alcohol, sea salt, and a hint of toffee.
this dram improved noticeably with time. I take back my negative comments completely. I aged it in the bottle with oxygen and a sprinkle of water (a half full bottle). The remaining whisky after a few months was heavenly. I liked it very much and would rate it at 91.
I plan on blending part of this bottle with something else. Any suggestions?
Hazelburn is one of the whiskies distilled at Springbank distillery and is named after a long defunct Campbeltown distillery. It is triple distilled, a rarity in Scotland today. The CV version was first released in 2010 and as is the case with the Springbank CV and Longrow CV the “CV” stands for “Curriculum Vitae” since - according to Springbank's Kate Wright - "it contains whiskies of a variety of ages...". Springbank is lightly smoky, Longrow is very smoky and Hazelburn is not smoky at all.
The nose is light and grassy, with some very weak notes of apples. There is also a quite distinct acerbic element right from the beginning, like white wine or cider. Adding a drop of water does not help as this brings out a buttery flavour, not unpleasant but difficult to get used to.
The palate is light-bodied, creamy and quite peppery. There is the same acerbic flavour, now together with notes of cardboard, and the same buttery touch when water is added. This is an unusual palate, to say the least. I found that letting the whisky air a bit did not help.
The finish is medium long and unexpectedly mouth-watering with a touch of vanilla but then ends rather abruptly.
I was struggling to find something to enjoy in this whisky. The whole tasting experience was overshadowed by the whisky’s acerbic and restless character. Could it be that I missed something?
So it's Friday after work, and I'm biding time before a late night date tonight (my first since a previous relationship ended in January) - so I'm a little nervous and excited. What's best to alleviate that a little? Why, a wee bit of Campbeltown, of course!
Hazelburn is one of the brands offered by the lone surviving distillery in Campbeltown, J.A. Mitchell (the other two being Sprinbank and Longrow). I've never had a Longrow but Springbank is one of my absolute favourites (based on the 10 year old and the 12 year old cask strength; and I've just purchased the 18 year old). So my expectations were high on this one - too high, I think, as I find I'm a little disappointed by what really is a very nice, refreshing, summery dram, triple distilled and vatted from different aged malts (6 to 10 years old), mostly aged in bourbon casks. I think "CV" means "Chairman's Vat" but if I'm wrong, please correct me.
The colour is a very pale yellow (nothing on the colour scale on this website quite matches it). The nose is very gentle, a little oily, fresh air over grass, fresh baked bread, lemon, some sea breeze in the background. Water brings out malt and hints of vanilla. But you really have to inhale to get it - unlike the burst of it's sister Springbank.
In the mouth, it is rather thin, also oily and citrusy, a bit like a Halls (but in a good way), and herbal (mint and oregano). As with the nose, water brings out the malt but not much else. Love the finish - long, briny, peppery. Very nice finish and nicely balanced.
It is quite different than Springbank - but still shares some characteristics. Kind of like...a Springbank Lite. Doesn't have the full on salt blast, the one that stings your lips - it is more approachable but not quite as exciting.
Nice review, I've only recently had my first tastes of Campbeltown and I'm really enjoying the character of the whiskies, so much different to the other Scotch whisky regions.
AFAIK there are two active distilleries in Campbeltown being Springbank as you mention and Glengyle who make the Kilkerran malt (early days yet). Glen Scotia I believe are not currently active or at least have not been actively distilling spirit for the last several years (although I hear rumours of sporadic distillation runs in recent times by Springbank staff) but are still releasing bottles of their 12 year old. Independent bottlers have been releasing the vast majority of Glen Scotia malt that can be found presently.
I'm really keen to get a hold of Springbank 10, 18 and a couple of vintages in between plus Longrow CV which I tasted recently and thought was fantastic! Can see myself tracking down some exotic Glen Scotias in the not too distant future; such unforgettably unique malt that demands so much patience to fully experience and appreciate.
P.S. hope the date went well ;-)
Hi, I have been drinking both Hazelburn CV and Springbank 10 y lately and, for me, the Cambelton difference is in the sugar and the herbs. The sugar is like the one in a pecan pie without the corn but add some wood to it and the herbs... I read that for some it is oregano, and again for me it´s not enough woody. I would go for chervil, at least in the Hazelburn. I have to say that my Sprinkbang has a herb rotten nose that is fading away slowly. But still, I can taste the nice sugar and I could guess what a good bottle of Springbank should taste. Let me tell you, I so see the potential and I find it so unique that I look forward to buy an other one. I expect the herb to be between basilic and seaweed. As for the salt, you do?t always taste it but you know it is there in the balance you have. So, coming back to the Hazelburn, I am glad that you rate it in the mid 80's because I find it underrated by many and I would like to say that it is more complex that what you usually read, but it is true that the compllexity is not coming from the fruits and the spices but more from the herbs, the sugar and the wood. So maybe it is why we find Cambleton so different!
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this is in our Campbeltown tasting.
Hazelburn was an old Campbeltown distillery that closed in 1925. In 1997 Springbank resuscitated the brand and the first version was released in 2005. Hazelburn is unpeated and triple distilled, which makes it a light and subtle whisky. Currently it offers an 8 year old, a 12 year old and the no age statement CV version. There used to be a tradition in Springbank that the Chairman had a cask in his office, and this Chairman’s Vatting is the inspiration behind the CV range.
Dominic's notes: A spiky nose, with fizzy citrus sherbet, icing sugar, and some floral notes. It's delicate, fragrant and pretty. The palate is light, delicate and sweet at one level but there's a rustic Highland carpet underneath. A pretty cowgirl wearing make up and leather chaps, perhaps?
Pat's notes: Nose: Maltesers, Rich Tea biscuits. Slightly savoury, with light grape and a faint hint of shoe polish. Taste: Intense dried fruit, beautifully clean barley with spices building, moving towards a biscuity gingeriness at the finish.
Tony's notes: Nose: Fairly simple, it comes in early with a sweet hit, but does not last long. Taste: A constant sherbert blends with a gentle initial spice that builds to what could be considered a bit of peat! (my imagination?) Works fairly well, but lacks complexity. Fairly long in the mouth
Hazelburn is the triple distilled spirit from Springbank distillery. Hazelburn CV is a vatting of different ages (6 to 10 years old), the majority being from bourbon casks.
Hazelburn CV (46%, OB 2011)
Nose: straw and malt aromas with some sort of metallic pear-like note. A muted fruitiness at best, and a rather artificial fruitiness for that matter. Cider apples. Some lemon drops. Quite some orange peel. A little unfresh. Mouth: big malty sweetness with cereal notes. Some oranges and vanilla cream. Hints of dry, bitterish herbs and more than just a hint of cardboard which seems to flatten it. Finish: medium length, with more spices and caramel.
I find this a strange whisky that doesn’t seem “natural” at all. I don’t know how to express it, but in a way this reminds me of blends from the 60-70?s. Disappointing.
Hmmm - I just picked up a bottle but haven't tried it yet...but your notes don't get me too excited - will post my review soon...
View more Hazelburn whiskies
See my video review at thewhiskykirk.com/2014/06/…