Edradour Ballechin 2004

This official Ballechin, a 20 year old, from 2004, at 52.8%, 2016 bottles in all. Ballechin is the smoky side of Edradour, a heavily peated malt from Pitlochry. It was founded in 1825, growing out of an old farmers' cooperative in the glen above Pitlochry.

Distilled from heavily peated malt in tiny copper stills and worm tubs, giving a rich, peated Highland spirit. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanillin lending vanilla under the fruit. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge and ellagitannins a drying grip, the peat smoke mellowing. The tiny stills and worm tubs give an oily spirit that takes the cask well. Under Signatory the range has grown to a wide run of sherry and wine cask bottlings. Its peated make, Ballechin, is named after a long extinct peated farm distillery a few miles away. The cool Highland air of the glen gives a slow, even maturation in the small Edradour warehouses.

At 52.8%, undiluted, it is deep and concentrated. A rich smoke over dried fruit and chocolate, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The texture is oily and smoky, the fruit lifted by vanilla. Peat smoke, dried fruit and a soft oak see out a long finish. This is Ballechin's heavily peated, oily style.