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Edradour’s Core Range
For years this distillery was world renowned as being Scotland’s smallest traditional distillery with a capacity of only 95,000 litres of spirit. Edradour distillery lost this title to Strathearn Distillery very recently and have renamed the distillery slogan from ‘Scotland’s Smallest Distillery’ to ‘Scotland’s Little Gem’. Situated in the Highland whisky region of Scotland in the small picturesque town of Pitlochry, Perthshire. The distillery was established in 1825 and traditionally run by just three men. Nowadays there are only two men who run the distillery. It is owned by the Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky Company who purchased the distillery from Pernod Ricard in 2002.
The distillery has two stills, a wash still at 4200 litres and a spirit still at 2200 litres which is very small in Scottish distillery terms. The water source is that of Ben Vrackie Springs which runs through the distillery on its way to the River Tummel, famous for its salmon fishing.
The distillery produces three bottles in its core range,
The first being the Edradour aged 10 years which is matured in a combination of American oak ex-Bourbon barrels and also European oak ex-Sherry barrels. This whisky is bottled at 40% abv and is chill-filtered, a process by which the esters and oils are removed, producing a cleaner look to the whisky, which when chilled or has ice added to it does not turn cloudy. The ten years old is seen in most outlets across the world and has grown to be very popular, especially to the new whisky drinker looking to experience a ex-Sherry barrel matured whisky.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Lots of fruity, sherry notes, sweet and creamy with lots of vanilla and sticky toffee pudding aromas.
Palate: Toasted honeyed almonds, freshly ground barley, Christmas cake and drizzles of the finest Rum, golden syrup and vanilla.
Finish: Plenty of oak and spices with honeyed sweetness.
The second bottling is the Edradour Caledonia aged 12 years which is matured initially in American oak ex-Bourbon casks followed by a finish in European oak ex-Oloroso Sherry casks for 4-5 years. This whisky is bottled at 46% abv and is non chill-filtered, all oils and esters are kept intact producing a natural product of taste and colour. Due to this the Edradour Caledonia my turn cloudy if adding ice.
Caledonia Edradour is a special single cask release, selected by songwriter Dougie Maclean and named after his famous song, Caledonia. This handmade single malt is a small batch bottling. This song is close to the heart of many Scots, acting as the ‘other’ national anthem for nostalgic Scots a long way from home!
“I wrote Caledonia, in 1977 on a beach in Brittany, France, when I was genuinely homesick for Scotland. My life has always been based in Perthshire. For me, the location of Edradour, with its neat cluster of whitewashed buildings, traditional equipment and employment of ancient methods of making single malt whisky, combined with its state of the art bottling facility, typify Caledonia. So it is great to be joining forces with Andrew Symington and Edradour Distillery, to bring you this wonderfully rich and complex 12 year old single malt.” Dougie Maclean
Tasting Notes
Nose: Rich and creamy with honey sweetness. Fresh figs and dates, soft Sherry, hints of oak. Manuka honey notes, polished leather and hints of tobacco. Dark chocolate and orange marmalade, toasted nuts.
Palate: Mouth coating, rich and robust, stewed red berries, treacle toffee, splashes of Sherry, caramel and toasted almonds. Freshly toasted bread and salted butter.
Finish: Coats the back palate, cocoa, think spiced hot chocolate with fairy floss.
Purchase a bottle here
The third bottling is Edradour Fairy Flag aged 15 years which is initially matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks for 8 years, then this whisky is matured for a further 7 years in fresh European oak ex-Oloroso Sherry casks.
A special Single Malt named after the Scottish feature film, “The Fairy Flag” which recounts the epic romance between the Clan Chief of the Macleod’s and the mysterious Fairy maiden, Titania. This feature film by Rory Mhor Nicoll and Peter Columbia brings the legend to life.
This whisky is bottled at 46% abv and has retained its natural dark mahogany colour, which looks incredible in the glass. It is non chill-filtered and again may change its appearance should ice be added. The spirit could be some legacy spirit of the previous owners Pernod Ricard who sold the distillery in 2002, however we should be seeing the new owners spirit creep in now.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Dried fruits of raisins and plums, fresh vanilla pods, freshly cut oranges, dark chocolate and an earthy character.
Palate: Delicious rich Christmas cake with caramel and chocolate. Blueberries and raisins , toasted walnuts. A little citrus with tobacco and orange peel. Typical mouth feel coming from the old copper farm stills.
Finish: Sweet and spicy, lingering and warming.
………..coming soon!
Now this whisky is a little more for after dinner or perhaps to drizzle on those Coco Pops one Saturday morning after a tough week! Edradour Cream Liqueur is produced using only the finest ingredients, which include the delicious single malt from the distillery. This cream liqueur can be poured over ice cream, added to a coffee, baked into cheesecake or simply added to an empty glass and enjoyed straight or with ice. It should also be refrigerated once open and consumed within 7 weeks meaning there’s a reason to finish it. Frankly, I think that there is no way this bottle would last for 7 weeks in our house!
Tasting Notes
Nose: Creamy with malt expectancy
Palate: A satisfying touch of Edradour. Silky smooth and creamy with a distinct butterscotch, chocolate flavour.
Finish: Mellow aftertaste with a hint of hazelnut
………coming soon!
I’ll be posting about the Peated Edradour range later in the month and sharing some very special limited bottles with you.
Slainte!
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