Edradour Ballechin Batch 7

An official release of Ballechin, at 46%, 6000 bottles in all. Ballechin is the heavily peated single malt from Edradour, the tiny farm distillery at Pitlochry. It was bought in 2002 by Andrew Symington of the independent bottler Signatory Vintage.

The spirit was drawn off the tiny stills and cooled in worm tubs, smoke over an oily spirit, building the rich, peated Ballechin style. A Bordeaux cask held it, shaping the oily spirit over the years. Carrying no age, soft vanillin (vanilla) and a dried fruit sit beneath the smoke. 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. For years its sign read Scotland's smallest distillery; it now calls itself Scotland's little gem. Signatory's wide cask range gives the small distillery an unusual variety of finishes.

At 46% it is rich, nutty and full. A rich smoke over dried fruit and chocolate, with a dark berry and a dry tannin from the cask. It is rich and smoky, the oily spirit shining through. The close is oily and smoky, fruit over a tarry oak. This is the smoky side of tiny Edradour.