Edradour 12 Years Old Cask #553,554,701,703~709

An official release of Edradour, a 12 year old, cask 553,554,701,703~709, at 58%. Edradour is a rich Highland malt from the pocket glen at Balnauld, distilled since 1825. Under Signatory the range has grown to a wide run of sherry and wine cask bottlings.

Run through the small stills with their boil ball purifiers, the worm tubs lending a weighty, oily character. Finished in an Oloroso cask, the wood building over the oily, full bodied spirit. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the oily malt, the body fuller and creamier. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the fruit. Active wood frames the rich fruit without overwhelming the oily Highland spirit. It was bought in 2002 by Andrew Symington of the independent bottler Signatory Vintage. The cool Highland air of the glen gives a slow, even maturation in the small Edradour warehouses.

At a hearty 58% it carries real weight. Dried fruit, chocolate and a nutty oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Fig, nut and a creamy malt fill the middle. The finish is rounded, fruity and gently spiced. This is a rich, oily Highland single malt.