Ballechin 2005 (Whisky.de)

The German retailer Whisky.de bottled this Ballechin, a 17 year old, distilled in 2005, from cask 323, bottled at 54.3%, one of 264 bottles. Ballechin is a peated Highland single malt from Edradour, owned by Signatory Vintage. For years its sign read Scotland's smallest distillery; it now calls itself Scotland's little gem.

Made from malt peated to around fifty parts per million in the tiny stills, for the smoky, oily Ballechin make. Maturation came in a Burgundy cask, layered over the rich Edradour make. At oxidative maturity vanillin and lactones are expressed, the smoke folding into the nutty, oily malt. The worm tubs leave an oily weight that carries through the years in cask. Its peated make, Ballechin, is named after a long extinct peated farm distillery a few miles away. It was founded in 1825, growing out of an old farmers' cooperative in the glen above Pitlochry.

At a hearty 54.3% it carries real weight. Peat smoke, fig and a soft chocolate, with a soft red berry and an earthy edge from the cask. It is rich and smoky, the oily spirit shining through. It finishes long, rich and smoky. This is a peated Highland single malt of real weight.