Hazelburn Barolo 9-Year-Old Spent One Third Of Life In Ex-Wine Casks

In the Springbank family of whisky brands the Hazelburn family is perhaps the most understated. It is not as well-known as the main Springbank, and doesn’t have the heavy peat influence of Longrow. But a new release, a nine-year-old whisky partially aged in ex-Barolo wine casks, could raise its profile.

The new Hazelburn Barolo 9-Year-Old, according to the distillery, initially spent six years in a fresh bourbon cask, followed by a further three years in a refill Barolo wine cask which had previously contained Springbank Scotch whisky. Barolo, as wine varieties go, is a northern Italian red wine style typically known for being rich in tannin.

It is said approximately 10,800 bottles of this whisky, each bottled at 57.9% ABV, will be made available globally. The following official tasting notes hint at how the extra time in wine casks affected the flavor of this whisky:

NOSE: The dram begins with perfume and confectionary, then the essence of sugared almonds is revealed, complimented by the sweetness of sherbet.
TASTE: Peppery with light tannins and the sweetness is continued with dry fruits and the subtle hint of coconut shavings.
FINISH: Sugary, with dark chocolate guiding us throughout the pineapple custard combined with vanilla.