Ballechin 2007 (LMDW)

The Paris house La Maison du Whisky bottled this Ballechin, a 12 year old, distilled in 2007, from cask 904, bottled at 59.6%, one of 258 bottles. Ballechin is a heavily peated Highland single malt made at Edradour near Pitlochry. Its peated make, Ballechin, is named after a long extinct peated farm distillery a few miles away.

The spirit was run through the small stills, the peat smoke carried into a rich, oily make, for the smoky, oily Ballechin make. It was matured in a Rum cask, the wood working slowly into the rich malt. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into vanilla as the peat smoke softens to a mellow, oily reek. Active wood frames the rich fruit without overwhelming the oily Highland spirit. Refill oak lets the rich, oily Edradour character lead the way. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the fruit.

At a natural 59.6% it is full and oily. A smoky, fruity richness, with a soft brown sugar and a tropical fruit from the cask. A baked apple and a peppery smoke lift it. The finish runs long, smoky and warming. This is Ballechin, Edradour's peated single malt.