Edradour 8 Years Old 2008 Cask #122 (Signatory)

From the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, an 8 year old Edradour, distilled in 2008, from cask 122, bottled at 51.2%, one of 786 bottles. Edradour is a Highland single malt from Perthshire, traditional and tiny, now Scotland's little gem. It is one of the smallest traditional distilleries in Scotland, long run by just two or three hands.

Drawn off the tiny stills and cooled in worm tubs for an oily make, for a rich, nutty spirit with a waxy depth. It was matured in an Oloroso cask, the wood working slowly into the rich malt. Young and extractive, the cask sheds vanillin (vanilla) and toasted sugars (light caramel) over the creamy make. Active wood frames the rich fruit without overwhelming the oily Highland spirit. The cool Highland air of the glen gives a slow, even maturation in the small Edradour warehouses. Years in oak round the spirit, the dried fruit and chocolate deepening over the oily core.

Bottled at a cask strength 51.2%, it is rich. A full, fruity sweetness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The mouthfeel is thick and oily, the fruit on a creamy body. It finishes long, rich and oily. This is a Highland single malt of real character.