Oh Lord...Another Hazelburn 13 (2018 Release) Review

From the Campbeltown legends Springbank come three lines of greatness. Springbank, Longrow, and Hazelburn. For today’s review we will be discussing a 13 year old Hazelburn released this, 2018. This dram spent its life in first fill and refill Oloroso sherry barrels, giving it the usual notes of dark, dried fruits like raisins. Without getting ahead of myself, this may be my current favorite Scotch and it's a shame because you likely will never be able to get your hands on it.

Let's dive right in, bring that glencairn right to our nose and breath in this wonderful nectar. Dark chocolate is somehow not the most surprising note, everything about this nose is deeply intriguing and confusing. There are also hints of ginger snaps/biscuits, freshly brewed espresso and rose petals. If I'm driving deep I can pick up both rose water and Honduran coffee.

I'm not going to lie, in preparation for this review I ended writing down some 30 odd tasting notes to try and define this whisky. If I had to narrow them down to three they would be, young wild raspberries, Honduran coffee, and a slight charcoal. Truly, only the slightest bit of a charcoal note. In an odd sense it brings back to my mind the flavor of Spice Tree Extravaganza, my favorite expression from Compass Box, and Dalmore. In this regard I get walnuts and a somewhat waxy note that I traditionally get in Dalmore. In that respect there are flavors of marzipan and Christmas spice that linger on the front.

There is a sweetness to this dram that brings a smile to my face. It is a complex variety, there are of course berries of all kinds, but also strange amounts of sulphur and a kind of spearmint cool. In regards to berries, I get raspberries (of the young, wild variety), strawberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, and elderberries. To that end one of the more prominent aspects of this dram is the strawberry. I get both strawberries and cream, along with a strawberry jam.

This is a bright whisky, full of spice and flavor for the whole family. Turkish delight and dark caramel are pleasant finds. There is also brine and a tinge of black pepper that come into more of an elevated state in the finish.

There are the traditional Oloroso sherry notes, raisins and other dried fruits. However I also get a rather distinct dusty almond note, with at least a hint of a musty flavor. Perhaps even some honey. I don't know who to pour this for, would a more traditional fan of

Campbeltown be taken aback by its sweetness? Yet would a first timer be overwhelmed by the more briny and sulphuric notes? While I do not know the answer to this question, I know one thing is for certain this is a whisky I will return to often.

If I had to single out a particular album to pair with this wondrous liquid, jazz may be the best answer as it pairs rather well with scotch. However the combination of bright and fruity flavors leads me to something with a little more pop. Iggy Pop, to be specific. Pairing this dram with The Stooges’ second album “Fun House” is something of an interesting move that I think will pay off for anyone willing to try it. There is a fluidity and variety of sound that matches how I feel about this Hazelburn on a subtle level.

If you can get your hands on this magnificent pour you should. A whisky to be shared, is a whisky to keep near and this is definitely something you'll want near you until the end of time.

Oh Lord Not Another Whiskey Blog, Prelude

Oh lord not another whiskey blog, another self proclaimed ass sitting on a throne of pretentious nothings. The kind of person to get visibly upset over the use of the words "vinyls", "smooth", and "esskeetit." He probably wishes he was as clever as Josh Tillman, but confuses cleverness with meanness more often than not. Oh lord not another whiskey blog.

What you just read is very likely true about myself, however I am the first to admit that I'm no expert nor will I pretend to be. I've got some thoughts that may be worth reading and sometimes they are expressed in unquiet (and odd) ways.

What you can expect from this blog are obvious whiskey reviews, but what I am rather excited by is the inclusion of music related bits. So sometimes there will be interviews thrown on, odd experiments, strange video clips, etc.

Of course where would this blog be without the Young Gilgamesh, Canadian Weird Al, Raymund Raymos, and of course Jeffery Petrone, my father.

While I can't promise expert tasting notes, I can promise the absurd. Whether that be through the occasional livestream on The Whiskey Tribe Facebook group or odd blending and barreling experiments. I hope to keep whomever may stumble upon these blogs mildly amused, informed and possibly disturbed.

The first experiment we will follow is my attempt at a Poor Man's Angel's Envy Rye. Angel's Envy, the amazing brand run by the Henderson wizards, continuously produces some of the best sources whiskey on the market. Of there products their rye is my favorite. 

Distinguishing their product is how they finish the their rye in rum barrels. To replicate this I put a blend of Ron Zacapa 23 Solera, Mezan XO, Havana Club Añejo Clássico, and Shipmate Gold Rum from Hewn Spirits in a one liter barrel for 2 weeks. Rums from Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Pennsylvania...certainly an odd combination.

To follow that I made a mix of rye whiskey. For that I used a good portion of Willett Family Estate Four Year Old, Hudson Maple Cask Finished Rye, Red Barn Rye also from Hewn Spirits, Old Overholt and Old Overholt bonded. The mix has been sitting for just over one month, the results so far have been good when sampling. The same can not be said for the rum which got a wood note, but little else to bring the parallel flavors together. Although perhaps they will marry well in its bottled form. So more will come in regards to that and other experiments.

Besides that I recently bottled an infinity bottle I've been sitting on for sometime. A blend of 40-45 different whiskies, featuring everything from Spice Tree Extravaganza from Compass Box to Tin Cup American Whiskey to Lagavulin 16. This was then married with a variety of experiments I've been noodling around with, a mix of Irish/Rye/Japanese whiskey, a sherry bomb, and a solid mix of Elijah Craig Small Batch with Laproaig 10. Counting the blends, there are perhaps 100 different whiskies and oh man is it tasty. 

For those interested out there, the nose is rather refreshing with distinct sherry notes coming through in the form of raisins, figs, and peeled almonds. The initial taste is that of a common Irish whiskey. There is caramel dipped green apples and juicy red ones as well, hints of the almighty shortbread cookie. A rising white pepper and cinnamon spice take hold and ride the dram to a long and clingy finish. 

Considering the number of peat heavy drams at play this is not a smoke or even brine forward whiskey. However there are hints of peat smoke that rise to prominence in the finish, along with bitter apple skins. A rather interesting dram that needs more exploration.

For the first music pairing of this blog, I would say from the few times I've had this infinity blend that Phil Ochs' 1967 classic "Pleasures Of The Harbor" would be most appropriate. Talisker 10 and The Classic Laddie also make great pairings with the album. 

Welcome to another whiskey blog. The first review will be focused on Hazelburn 13 Sherry Wood 2018 Release, something you probably won't be able to find. There will also be a musical pairing. So stayed tuned. Other reviews to come will be on a peated expression of West Cork, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, and Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt. I hope at the end of the day, that whoever reads even a little of this blog will step away a little bit more informed on the ever expanding world of whiskey.

https://youtu.be/YBp7QsFweRY