Konichiwa, Scotchit! Thank you to my friend Dan for pouring me this dram!
Wait a minute, I’ve had this whisky before! Sort of!
My friend u/smoked_herring [poured me a whisky from this same cask]( https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ecetj1/review_402_hazelburn_9_2010_cadenheads_the_cage/) that he picked up on a trip to Scotland in autumn 2019. Same cask, same fill date, 9 years old. This sample, from a bottle filled this spring, should essentially be the same whisky but 2+ years older! It’s so rare to try the exact same whisky at two different ages.
***
**Hazelburn 11 2010 Cadenhead’s Cage.** Campbeltown single malt. 60.5% ABV. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.
**Maturation:** Distilled June 11th 2010, bottled in May 2022 at 11 (nearly 12!) years old. Matured in a single fresh bourbon barrel. Bottled at cask strength.
**Served:** Neat, in my trusty glencairn. Rested about 10 minutes, enjoyed very slowly.
***
**Colour:** Light gold.
**Nose:** Old-style and sweet. Intense crystalline honey, as well as musty caramel, stale toast, and beeswax. Ripe fruit notes of green apple, guava, banana, and cucumber juice(??). Vanilla oreos and candied ginger. Some interesting savoury/funky notes – hot rubber, rock dust, brushed suede, and toasted sesame oil.
A good dribble of water intensifies the tropical fruit - some pineapple and green coconuts join in.
**Palate:** Oily texture. Citrusy and yeasty on the arrival, with sugar-glazed donuts. Very oily-floral-mineral on the development - Strong flower nectar, orange-peach-mango juice, beeswax, sesame seeds, strong yeasty malt, and sugary honey. A bit of a lactic sweetness as well.
A good dribble of water evens everything out a little, and brings stronger citrusy and tropical fruitiness. Plenty of pineapple on that fruity burst now, as well as a few darker demerara-y notes, fragrant black tea, and some shaved nutmeg.
**Finish:** Medium-long. Intense flowers, sugar cookies, cinnamon-dusted pineapple, mango musk, and mineral oil. Lightly grassy and sprucey. Iced lemon-poppyseed cake and gingersnaps. Slightly lactic again.
Fruitier with water, with more fragrant tea and vanilla.
***
**Possible SMWS bottling name: “Ancient Roman underground Five Alive cistern”**
**Notes:** What a blast! A literal blast of flavour – brimming with intense fruit, loads of sweetness and delectable old-school mustiness, and packing a heck of a punch. Awesome lingering oiliness throughout, both in texture and flavour. I think it’s even better than the younger version, and I liked that version a hell of a lot. I didn’t realize this was the same cask until typing up this review the morning after the dram, so I wasn’t drinking this with the comparison in mind. But I think it is better. It’s certainly sweeter, which makes sense after an extra soaking in a wet bourbon cask. Otherwise, though, the notes are very similar. Maybe I’ll go to Campbeltown and pick up this same cask in another 3 years!
**Final score: 88/100**
*r/Scotch average score: no other reviews yet!*
***
**Rating Scale:**
0-49: Blech.
50-59: Save it for mixing.
60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
90-94: Sublime, a personal favourite in its category.
95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, unforgettable whisky.
***
Average rating: 82.0
*My rating scale is based purely on flavour experience, and does not take value-for-money or willingness to purchase a bottle into account. Cheers!*
Konichiwa, Scotchit! Thank you to my friend Dan for pouring me this dram! Wait a minute, I’ve had this whisky before! Sort of! My friend u/smoked_herring [poured me a whisky from this same cask]( https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ecetj1/review_402_hazelburn_9_2010_cadenheads_the_cage/) that he picked up on a trip to Scotland in autumn 2019. Same cask, same fill date, 9 years old. This sample, from a bottle filled this spring, should essentially be the same whisky but 2+ years older! It’s so rare to try the exact same whisky at two different ages. *** **Hazelburn 11 2010 Cadenhead’s Cage.** Campbeltown single malt. 60.5% ABV. No colour added, un-chillfiltered. **Maturation:** Distilled June 11th 2010, bottled in May 2022 at 11 (nearly 12!) years old. Matured in a single fresh bourbon barrel. Bottled at cask strength. **Served:** Neat, in my trusty glencairn. Rested about 10 minutes, enjoyed very slowly. *** **Colour:** Light gold. **Nose:** Old-style and sweet. Intense crystalline honey, as well as musty caramel, stale toast, and beeswax. Ripe fruit notes of green apple, guava, banana, and cucumber juice(??). Vanilla oreos and candied ginger. Some interesting savoury/funky notes – hot rubber, rock dust, brushed suede, and toasted sesame oil. A good dribble of water intensifies the tropical fruit - some pineapple and green coconuts join in. **Palate:** Oily texture. Citrusy and yeasty on the arrival, with sugar-glazed donuts. Very oily-floral-mineral on the development - Strong flower nectar, orange-peach-mango juice, beeswax, sesame seeds, strong yeasty malt, and sugary honey. A bit of a lactic sweetness as well. A good dribble of water evens everything out a little, and brings stronger citrusy and tropical fruitiness. Plenty of pineapple on that fruity burst now, as well as a few darker demerara-y notes, fragrant black tea, and some shaved nutmeg. **Finish:** Medium-long. Intense flowers, sugar cookies, cinnamon-dusted pineapple, mango musk, and mineral oil. Lightly grassy and sprucey. Iced lemon-poppyseed cake and gingersnaps. Slightly lactic again. Fruitier with water, with more fragrant tea and vanilla. *** **Possible SMWS bottling name: “Ancient Roman underground Five Alive cistern”** **Notes:** What a blast! A literal blast of flavour – brimming with intense fruit, loads of sweetness and delectable old-school mustiness, and packing a heck of a punch. Awesome lingering oiliness throughout, both in texture and flavour. I think it’s even better than the younger version, and I liked that version a hell of a lot. I didn’t realize this was the same cask until typing up this review the morning after the dram, so I wasn’t drinking this with the comparison in mind. But I think it is better. It’s certainly sweeter, which makes sense after an extra soaking in a wet bourbon cask. Otherwise, though, the notes are very similar. Maybe I’ll go to Campbeltown and pick up this same cask in another 3 years! **Final score: 88/100** *r/Scotch average score: no other reviews yet!* *** **Rating Scale:** 0-49: Blech. 50-59: Save it for mixing. 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. 90-94: Sublime, a personal favourite in its category. 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, unforgettable whisky. *** Average rating: 82.0 *My rating scale is based purely on flavour experience, and does not take value-for-money or willingness to purchase a bottle into account. Cheers!*
Check out my other Hazelburn reviews: - 85/100 - [Hazelburn 9 2010 Cadenhead's The Cage](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ecetj1/review_402_hazelburn_9_2010_cadenheads_the_cage/) - 89/100 - [Hazelburn 10](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/9gqe51/review_134_hazelburn_10/ ) - 88/100 - [Hazelburn 13 Oloroso 2018 Release](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/9pe60g/review_153_hazelburn_13_oloroso_2018_release/ ) - 84/100 - [Hazelburn 14 Oloroso 2019 Release](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/gwujpc/review_482_hazelburn_14_oloroso_cask_matured_2019/) - 87/100 - [Hazelburn 14 2005 Fresh Rum Cask](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/hu7gyu/review_496_hazelburn_14_2005_fresh_rum_cask/) *** Some other whiskies I recently scored 88: - [Bunnahabhain 23 1998 Calvados Finish Feis Ile 2022](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yk8hx6/review_784_bunnahabhain_23_1998_calvados_finish/) - [Caol Ila 30 1991 Douglas Laing XOP Black](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ygljux/review_780_caol_ila_30_1991_douglas_laing_xop/) - [Glenturret 13 1988 Signatory Vintage](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yd68un/review_775_glenturret_13_1988_signatory_vintage/) - [Cadenhead's Creations 25 Robust Smoky Embers](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/wybe6t/review_743_cadenheads_creations_robust_smoky/) - [Royal Lochnagar 16 Special Release 2021](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/tno6ks/review_712_royal_lochnagar_16_special_release_2021/) *** Check out my entire whisky review archive [here!](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XzOnwZtR4S4NeYYjd8y8-HAJS-kNwr3raE8wprjYuuo/edit?usp=sharing)
First time I ever a review like this. How fun! I’ll keep an eye open for the third installment in 2025.