sylva - Hazel

HAZEL feels a bit like a prodigy. Like an unbelievable story that you initially think is made up. When we first smelled the glasses, Lucas and I looked at each other and said, "This can't be real." Former Seedlip founder Ben Branson and his team set themselves the task of creating wood- and grain-based drinks that are "neat," even when not chilled. Like a good whisky, rum, or something similar. And what you find in the glass is exactly that, and so much more. The experience is almost indescribable. For HAZEL, young hazel catkins, leaf buds, and grain are distilled at a gentle temperature; the woods are split and, depending on the profile, roasted, toasted, or lightly charred – this opens up the structure, highlights sweet and spicy toasty notes, and refines the tannins. Maturation is achieved through sonic ageing: In ultrasonic reaction chambers under oxygen, pressure and heat, wood and grain components rapidly interlock with the base – more depth, clear texture, color and length, without the heaviness of a classic long-term barrel aging.