House of Hazelwood, Warehouse Reserve Batch 1
Everything from House of Hazelwood is well-aged, unique, and low-yielding, and the Warehouse Reserve Batch 1 is no different. It’s a heavily sherried 36-year-old Speyside blended malt, and although House of Hazelwood never confirms the distilleries involved in any blend, both Glenfiddich and The Balvenie are in Dufftown, the heart of Speyside, and are owned by the same family. This blended malt Scotch whisky has been caught at just the right time, with the bitterness of long-aged whisky working beautifully with the lively summer fruit notes.
Nose
Dry sherry, red cherries, dark chocolate, coffee, aged oak, cinnamon, cardamom, spiced carrot cake, fondant icing, cola cubes
Palate
Banana bread, black forest gateau, sherried fruit, oak spice, strawberry laces, berry compote, cardamom, oily texture
Finish
Hazelnuts, fudge, spiced apple pie, leather, licorice
The nose opens with dry sherry, red cherries, and dark chocolate before shifting into fresh black coffee and old oak, with cinnamon, cardamom, and a playful suggestion of spiced carrot cake and cola cubes adding intrigue and depth. On the palate, soft banana bread and black forest gateau lead the way, joined by a wave of sherry fruitiness, strawberry laces and summer fruit compote, all underpinned by oak spices and a returning hit of cardamom that contrasts beautifully without overwhelming. Rich and oily in texture, the 51.4% ABV carries everything with confidence. The finish is long and warming, moving through hazelnuts, fudge, and spiced apple pie before settling on leather and licorice — complex, satisfying, and reluctant to leave.
Style
Details
House of Hazelwood, Warehouse Reserve Batch 1
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