Review #726 - Hazelburn 15 Year Oloroso Cask Matured (2023)
In recent years, Hazelburn has probably been the hardest brand to find from the Springbank distillery, though none of them are easy to come by. Hazelburn and Longrow each are only produced for a short part of the year, with Springbank-style spirit taking up 75%+ of the distillery's production time. While Longrow's non-age-stated 'Peated' single malt is available more often, the standard unpeated Hazelburn 10 Year Old has seen some production gaps recently.
Even more uncommon are the annual Oloroso-matured Hazelburn bottles, such as this 15 year old version. This spirit was distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2023, and the full time was spent in first fill Oloroso sherry casks; afterward, it was bottled at an elevated strength of 55.8% ABV, so we should get plenty of flavor delivered in the glass.
Hazelburn 15 Year Oloroso Cask Matured (2023)
Scotland/Campbeltown - Single Malt
Price: USD 200 (2025)
Age Statement: 15 Years
Strength: 55.8% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill Oloroso sherry casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled June 2008, bottled September 2023; 9,000 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 2 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Fig liqueur and cola, quite earthy and rich, a bit of a meaty sherry bomb. Raisins, cooked figs, but a savory side as well - almost pollo con higos. Quite fruity too, borderline syrupy at times, with orange oil, prunes, and inky red wine. There are a lot of layers; we also get hints of sweet tobacco, perfumed oak, and caramel.
Palate: Subtle smoke, almost a campfire warmth, and then a blast of dark fruits: raisin, fig, prune again. A bit of charcoal and other mineral notes, then cola and root beer, a bit of licorice spice... wow, it keeps on giving. Bitter chocolate, amaro, soft earthy notes, and caramel round out the profile; it's warming with the strength, and the mouthfeel is medium-thick.
Finish: More of the same: raisins, figs, dark caramel, and root beer. The oak builds in strength, bringing some tannins and a hint of polished furniture wood; a mixture of chocolate, red meat, and sulphur lingers in the aftertaste, as well as a hint of smoke. It's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: What a whisky, this is great - it evolves so much over time, bringing so many layers of flavor. Sweet, spicy, bitter, savory - you name it, this has it. Despite this being unpeated, we even got a bit of a smoky note on it, maybe from the charred wood in the casks. That oak was mild in the palate, but it really shined in the nose and the finish, where it showed more age.
Due to the rarity of whiskies like this, the price is a bit higher, meaning the value proposition here is a little below average. Then again, any whisky with a $200+ price tag isn't going to hit the top of our value chart; in this case, we would say it's worth it to buy a bottle like this if you can find one. It's a special whisky, and sometimes that's worth the splurge.
Our Rating: 8.7 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.93
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Hazelburn reviews:
