Edradour 8 Years Old 2011 Cask #89 (Signatory)

An Edradour of an 8 year old chosen by the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, distilled in 2011, from cask 89, bottled at 56.8%, one of 344 bottles. Edradour is a creamy, sherried Highland single malt from one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland. It once supplied blends such as House of Lords and King's Ransom.

It was worked through Oregon pine washbacks and tiny stills for a rich, oily spirit, for a rich, nutty spirit with a waxy depth. It was matured in a Pedro Ximenez 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. Signatory's wide cask range gives the small distillery an unusual variety of finishes. The distillery sits in a pocket glen at Balnauld, in the hills above Pitlochry in Perthshire. Years in oak round the spirit, the dried fruit and chocolate deepening over the oily core.

At its natural 56.8% it is rich and full bodied. A rich, nutty sweetness, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Fig, nut and a creamy malt fill the middle. A long, nutty finish carries dried fruit and a soft spice. This is a rich, oily Highland single malt.