Edradour 10 year old Highland Single Malt Scotch
Cute might be a word to describe the last working farm distillery in Perthshire and the smallest distillery in Scotland. But while the distillery is well known, its whiskies are less so. Edradour sits in a little valley on the edge of the village of Pitlochry which is one of Scotland’s most visited villages, because of its natural beauty. Over 100,000 tourists pass through this delightfully picturesque distillery every year to view the romantic side of Scotland, white-washed stone walls, brightly painted red windows and doors and a babbling brook that runs right through the middle of it.
But with a staff of just two it is anybody’s guess as to how they get any work done at all, as these custodians produce just over 2,000 cases of malt a year. That is a tiny amount of distillate when you compare it to giants such as Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. And the reason for such small production is two-fold. Firstly, the distilleries pot stills are the lowest capacity allowed by law and still considered to be permanently located. So small that two men could lift them up and walk away! The second reason is that this distillery was historically never big in terms of size and production levels, and was therefore never a player on the national whisky scene. It has virtually remained the same size since the distillery was founded in 1825.
Tradition forms every part of the Edradour character. For instance, they use a cast iron mash tun which dates back to 1910 along with the last and only ‘Morton Refrigerator’ used in any Scottish distillery. The Morton is used to cool the wort before distillation commences.
The distillery produces an impressive array of single malts. Port, sherry and rum casks are used and 25% of production is used for the limited edition Ballechin, which is a heavily peated line. Ballechin was an old distillery in the area but sadly is long gone.
However the classic expression is the Edradour 10 year old. My notes are as follows.
Nose: semi-sweet apple cider, cloves, and fresh malt.
Palate: Rich and creamy, apple pie, water crackers, sherry and a faint hint of smoke.
Finish: Good length with a touch of spice as it fades.
Altogether an exceptional malt that certainly deserves your attention and it is at a very reasonable $49.99!
Slainte,
Denis
