Edradour Ballechin 2007 Cask #207

Ballechin from the distillery, a 12 year old, from 2007, cask 207, at 58.5%, 398 bottles in all. Ballechin is a rich, smoky Highland single malt from the tiny Edradour distillery. A rare Morton refrigerator still cools the wort, one of the last in use in Scotland.

The spirit was worked through worm tubs from heavily peated malt for a smoky, oily spirit, building the rich, peated Ballechin style. Finished in a Bordeaux cask, the wood building over the oily, full bodied spirit. By the integrating teens congeners fade and esters build, the smoke knitting with the rich, oily spirit. Active wood frames the rich fruit without overwhelming the oily Highland spirit. The worm tubs leave an oily weight that carries through the years in cask. Refill oak lets the rich, oily Edradour character lead the way. The tiny stills and worm tubs give an oily spirit that takes the cask well.

At cask strength 58.5% it is big and oily. Woodsmoke, oily malt and a dried fruit, with a dark berry and a dry tannin from the cask. Beneath the smoke run dried fruit, chocolate and a soft oil. Peat smoke, dried fruit and a soft oak see out a long finish. This is the smoky side of tiny Edradour.