Review: Hazelburn 16 Years Old Ruby Port Matured

Hazelburn 16 Years Old

Springbank society

Age: 16

Abv: 50,8%

Contents: 35cl

Distilled: 06/2007

Bottled: 09/2023

One of: 1610 bottles

Place of Purhcase: Springbank Society

Price:  122,08€ (Pullo £41.67 + Postit £34.00 + tullimaksut)

The majority of Springbank's products are either snapped up immediately or available for purchase at significantly inflated prices. For this reason, membership in the Springbank Society has become highly coveted. Membership allows participation in ballots providing the opportunity to buy bottles released exclusively through the Springbank Society as well as new releases that disappear from retailers immediately.

The downside is that, even though the Springbank Society is currently closed for new members, there is quite a large amount of members already. This makes winning sometimes quite unlikely. Another drawback is the purchase of alcohol from Scotland to Finland. Taxes can amount to almost the price of a bottle.

Today, we have in the glass the Springbank Society-released 16-year-old Hazelburn, matured in a Ruby Port cask.

Nose: Without adding water the aroma is a bit closed. The scent has an overall sourness with a slight sharp twist and in the background there is a hint of cherry sweetness. The dominant acidity and darkness in the aroma evoke thoughts of cranberries covered in chocolate. At least with a small addition of water the aroma doesn't change significantly. There is a slight softening and hints of red Christmas apples appear. The alcohol still pushes through the nose, but less prominently.

Taste: Sour, tart, cherry-like cranberries kick off the flavor journey. Without adding water, there's a slight tightness in the taste, as if the full potential of the flavor spectrum is not fully unleashed. With the addition of water the taste takes on a completely new dimension. Red apples and a light cherry quality come to the forefront. After the initial sweetness, acidity returns, but not in a bad way.

After: In the aftertaste a dark chocolate starts to rise to the forefront. As the acidity and tightness dissipate, the sweetness takes on more of a cocktail cherry character. With the addition of water a touch of acidity returns to the aftertaste. The finish is long-lasting and pleasantly diverse.

This is indeed a delightful whisky. It offers a perfect balance of sweetness and complexity. The overall experience is consistent from start to finish, yet with just the right amount of variation. This is unquestionably a whisky that demands your full attention. It's not just a casual movie companion but the star of the evening.