Not all Scotch regions were created equally, and neither have they aged with equal grace – or solvency. The Campbeltown region once had over thirty distilleries yet now only three remain. While Hazelburn was a distillery in Campbeltown, it closed in 1926 in part due to the rise of prohibition in the U.S. and beyond. This current spirit, however, is a bottling by one of the three surviving distilleries in town, Springbank. It also holds the distinction of being one of only two distilleries in Scotland to perform every step in the whisky making process; the other is Kilchoman. The Hazelburn 12 is triple-distilled (you can tell from the picture on the bottle of three pot stills) and is non-peated. The distillery’s peated offering, Longrow, and the main Springbank whisky have all won awards. This is Scotchology’s first Campbeltown.
Yamazaki 12 Year
Yamazaki is Japan’s first and oldest distillery and has been producing whisky for nearly a century. Situated just outside Kyoto and owned by Suntory, the Yamazaki 12 was inspired by scotch but only goes so far with that inspiration before setting out on its own distinctive path. The whisky is very much a product of its locality, infused with unique character. They don’t mess around, in other words. This particular offering has been the recipient of many international whisky tasting awards. It was highly praised at our tasting.