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Hazelburn 14 Year Oloroso Cask

Hazelburn 14 Year Oloroso Cask

Springbank distillery produces three single malt brands and of these, the Hazelburn is perhaps most unique in that it is one of the few whiskies produced in Scotland that are distilled three times (far more normal for their brethren whiskies across the water in Ireland). Distilling an extra time can remove more of what is often described as the “burn” provided by the alcohol in a scotch. Another unusual twist to this scotch is the maturation. While it is not uncommon to finish a whisky in another cask near the end of its aging for a few months or a year to give it additional character, this expression spent the entirety of its maturation in fresh ex-Oloroso casks.

Ledaig 18 Year

Ledaig 18 Year

The Ledaig brand comprises one half of Tobermory’s output, a heavily peated malt in the 30-40ppm range. The Tobermory distillery, in fact, was originally founded as the Ledaig distillery in 1798. The distillery has four wash stills and four spirit stills, with production capable of a million liters of spirit a year after an upgrade in 1990. The water for the whisky is taken from a small, private loch close to the Mishnish lochs. While the number of offerings in the brand is limited, they occasionally include limited options often featuring special cask finishes or unusual age statements. The Ledaig 18 is finished in ex-Sherry wood, though the official details don’t seem to note specifically what kind of sherry. Others seem to think well of this scotch, as it has won several awards at recent spirits competitions. 

Port Charlotte 10 Year

Port Charlotte 10 Year

The distillery of Port Charlotte lies two miles south of Bruichladdich facing Loch Indaal and is where the parent company’s peatier whiskies are distilled. Though the distillery was resurrected some years ago by Bruichladdich, the Port Charlotte 10 year is a recent addition to the stable of offerings. The barley used is from the Shire of Invernes, Scotland’s largest county, which covers parts of the northern Highlands and the Outer Hebrides. Even the casking is particular, with 75% of the maturation happening in first or second fill American whisky casks, and with 25% coming from second fill French wine casks. We assume that since the website does not list the exact American whiskies or French wines, it must mean there are many potential options and thus would be impossible to list for a uniform bottling expression.