Hazelburn CV (Scottish Campbeltown Single Malt Whisky: No age statement: 46%)
Visual: Banana gold.
Viscosity: Very slow puckering.
Nose: Stewed banana. Grain fields. Honey. Some alcohol prickle. Water emphasizes grain fields and brings out lime.
Body: Banana. Honey. Lime. Very smooth texture. Some alcohol feel. Moderate oak and charring. Custard. Much more honeyed with water. Light grassy character. Beef slices at back.
Finish: Lime. Digestives. Alcohol feel. Custard. Honey comes out with water along with some milky chocolate Light beef crisps and beef slices. Grassy. Toffee. Paprika.
Conclusion: So, Springbank without the peat? How does that work? Very smoothly as it turns out. The texture is light and slick, there is some alcohol presence but it is easy dimmed with but a little water. The flavours are very smooth and sweet with lots of honey and a touch of custard. Simply relaxing.
What is interesting is that it turns out that not all of that Springbank character comes from the peat, with water there is a similar grassiness and dried beef notes here as in Springbank. The beef especially is a note I would normally associate with the peat, yet they are here, lightly but present. They are welcome small backing notes to the soothing spirit.
The aroma does suffer a bit on this one, very light and doesn’t give you much to draw you in. However the body does give plenty to compensate for that. Finally the finish smoothes out into milky chocolate and honey, still keeping that grassy touch which makes for a good capstone.
It isn’t the most complex spirit, but is far from dull. For my money I prefer the extra weight the Springbank expression brings over this ones easy sipping character, but it is a matter of taste and this one does do what it does well.
An easygoing introduction to Campbeltown.
Background: I’ve finally reviewed the holy triumvate of Springbank. Longrow – their heavily peated whisky, Springbank – their standard expression, and this, the unpeated triple distilled edition. Since there are only three meaning distilleries within Campbeltown it is a triumvate within a triumvate. Which probably has some weird mystical importance. Anyway, I am a big fan of the distillery, so was good to grab a measure of this. Again I seem to have blurred the photo for this. I have less than leet skills here.
