This is one with a bit of history. I ordered it from the Society back in 2019, and even though I tried arranging pick-up or delivery quite a few times, it never actually happened. I was only able to pick it up last March when visiting Mark Watt in Campbeltown.

Luckily, one of my friends was clever enough to point out I should check before we drove off, and so it was during lunch at a local pub I found out they had given me the wrong bottle. Back to the Cadenhead shop in Campebletown once more!

Anyway, after getting this back home I made some samples, and a little while after that I sat down to actually taste this.

Sniff:
There’s oak and barley. And, surprisingly for a re-char cask, not too much wood. Caramel apples, coastal salinity and some hessian. Candied lemon and baked apple too.

Sip:
Dry, quite sharp, with notes of straw, barley and grist. Apple, sweetened lemon, coconut.

Swallow:
A warming finish. Slightly sweet with apple compote, sand biscuits. A very long and gentle finish.

I generally am not too keen on Hazelburn whiskies. I’ve had quite a few that just didn’t sit well with me, even though I tend to absolutely adore Springbank and Longrow. With them coming from the same distillery and the same still I still find that surprising.

This one, though, is very very good. It’s a very straight forward dram with the wood not being forced too much. As said, surprising for a re-char cask, they tend to go all in on the oak. I love how it’s a very old fashioned dram, it somehow is soothing because of it!

88/100