Edradour Straight From The Cask – Moscatel Cask Finish 13 Years Old 1997

Edradour from the distillery, a 13 year old, from 1997, at 56.6%, 435 bottles in all. Edradour is a rich, oily Highland single malt made in the old farm buildings above Pitlochry. It is one of the smallest traditional distilleries in Scotland, long run by just two or three hands.

Distilled from unpeated malt in tiny copper stills and worm tubs, giving the full bodied, creamy Highland spirit. It was matured in a Moscatel cask, the wood working slowly into the rich malt. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the oily malt, the body fuller and creamier. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the fruit. The full bodied spirit shows the cask clearly, the sherry and oak to the fore. Active wood frames the rich fruit without overwhelming the oily Highland spirit. A 2018 expansion added a second still house, the production still small and traditional.

At cask strength 56.6% it is big and oily. A rich, nutty sweetness, with a grapey, floral sweetness from the cask. A dried fruit and a polished oak give it depth. The finish is long, oily and gently spiced. This is Edradour's full bodied, sherried Highland style.