Edradour 10 Sherry Butt – TWE Exclusive

I discovered Edradour (pronounced Edd-ra-DOW-er) on a business trip last year, and became a big fan of one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries. Dating back to 1825, Edradour continues to employ the art of producing single malt whisky by hand. The distillery has no computerized equipment.

One of my favorite things about Edradour’s expressions is variety of maturations and finishes, some of which are unique (marsala, barolo, and chardonnay to name a few). This particular expression is matured in Oloroso Sherry butts for 10 years, hand selected by The Whisky Exchange in London, England, and bottled at cask strength.

BOTTLE INFO

Distiller: Edradour
Region: Highlands
ABV: 58.5%
Outturn: 683 bottles
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask Type: Oloroso Sherry Butts
Age: 10
Chill Filtered: No
Color Added: No
Color: Brown Sherry / Chestnut

TASTING NOTES

Glass for Review: Spiegelau Nosing Glass
Nose: Punchy caramel and marzipan layered in milk chocolate. Followed by sherry, raisins, currants, and a hint of espresso. Lingering with hickory and applewood. Adding water brings out notes of chocolate covered almonds
Palate: Without water, very spicy and alcohol burn. Licorice and cocoa powder. Sherry notes are prevalent after a moment once you get past the punchy alcohols. Adding a few drops of water really opens up this beauty. The cocoa and mocha notes come through, followed by sweet cinnamon danish.
Finish: Dark chocolate ganache, a hint of raspberry, mocha with a touch of espresso. Water strengthens the notes of dark chocolate ganache and raspberry truffle and brings out a rich dark porter. Sweet cinnamon danish notes linger for awhile. A hint of char is barely noticeable.
Overall: As a big fan of Edradour’s many different finishes, this one definitely holds it own. At 58.5% it definitely needs water to open up. Starting off as a sherry monster the whisky quickly blossoms into a complex mix of dark chocolate, fruit, and cinnamon that is strikingly balanced.

Average Price: $90 USD