Edradour Ballechin 2010 Cask #263

This official Ballechin, a 10 year old, from 2010, cask 263, at 55.6%, 349 bottles in all. Ballechin is the smoky side of Edradour, a heavily peated malt from Pitlochry. Its tiny copper stills and worm tubs give a rich, oily, full bodied spirit.

The spirit was distilled from heavily peated malt in tiny copper stills and worm tubs, for a smoky, oily make of peat and dried fruit. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the rich spirit. In integration lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) join the smoke, the dried fruit deepening beneath. Refill oak lets the rich, oily Edradour character lead the way. Active wood frames the rich fruit without overwhelming the oily Highland spirit. Signatory's wide cask range gives the small distillery an unusual variety of finishes. The cool Highland air of the glen gives a slow, even maturation in the small Edradour warehouses.

At 55.6%, undiluted, it is deep and concentrated. Peat smoke, dried fruit and a nutty oil, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked apple and a peppery smoke lift it. The finish is rounded, smoky and gently spiced. This is Ballechin, Edradour's peated single malt.