Edradour Sauternes Cask Matured – Small Batch 12 Years Old 2012

Edradour from the distillery, a 12 year old, from 2012, cask 184-189, 191, at 48.2%, 2332 bottles in all. Edradour is a full bodied, oily Highland malt made on Ben Vrackie water at Pitlochry. It keeps the old ways, with an open cast iron mash tun, Oregon pine washbacks and worm tub condensers.

The spirit was worked through Oregon pine washbacks and tiny stills for a rich, oily spirit, for a full, oily make of dried fruit and chocolate. It was matured in a Sauternes cask, the wood working slowly into the rich malt. By the integrating teens congeners fade and esters build, the rich, oily spirit growing creamier. A small distillery and a hands on approach shape every cask by hand. Under Signatory the range has grown to a wide run of sherry and wine cask bottlings. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the fruit.

At cask strength 48.2% it is big and oily. Dried fruit, chocolate and a nutty oil, with honeyed apricot and a candied citrus from the cask. The mouthfeel is thick and oily, the fruit on a creamy body. The finish is long, oily and gently spiced. This is a creamy, nutty Highland single malt.