Edradour 13 year old 2005, cask 145

On Wednesday I reviewed a heavily-peated bourbon cask NAS single malt from Edradour. Today it's a non-peated single sherry cask 13 year old malt from the same distillery.

I knew this one was going to be a hellion. It is bottled at 65.9%abv. Single malts north of 60%abv tend to require a lot of tinkering before their palates reveal their best sides. That's just my experience of course. Yours may differ. Though how on Earth is a 13yo whisky still flexing a nearly 66%abv? A hot warehouse? A higher barreling strength? A wonky cask?

Distillery: Edradour
Ownership: Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky Co., Ltd.

Region: Highlands (Central)
Age: 13 years old (28 June 2005 - 14 November 2018)

Maturation: sherry butt
Cask #: 145
Outturn: 532

Alcohol by Volume: 65.9%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant added? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose is plenty poisonous, almost all ethyl and glue, for the first 15 minutes. Gradually notes of almond butter, urine and fish oil slip out. It takes 45 minutes to open up: prunes, dried cranberries, mixed berry jam and dirty hay. Compared to the nose, the palate is not that hot. It's still a bit gluey. It's also spicy, with sweet shisha and dry sherry. The hot, acidic finish is nothing but aggressive tartness, earth and dry sherry.

I'm going to attempt to bring it down to a more approachable level: 100 UK Proof.

DILUTED TO ~57.1%abv, or < 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose becomes less gluey. More candy notes: Good 'n Plenty and cherry lollipops. The calmer palate gains fruity notes, like raspberry jam and tart lemons. There's a definite woody smoke to it, which carries through to the finish, which also brings a hit of tart berries and limes.

Is it all that it can be? Perhaps not.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or > 2½ tsp of water per 30mL of the original whisky
The nose is earthy, grungy, metallic and yeasty, but also candied. Fruit cake and a little bit of smoke. The palate is sweet and tangy, but doesn't let go of the heat. Smaller notes of wood smoke and metal. It finishes farmy, metallic, sweet and tangy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This cask's ABV does it no favors. It's violent stuff until it airs for 45-60 minutes, but even then it feels tight. Bringing it down to 46%abv reveals a quirky, challenging creature, interesting but difficult. Though "Edradour" is the distillery's unpeated malt there is definitely something smoky running throughout this particular whisky, unless that's my palate burning down. That note is welcome. The metallic side, not so much. This Edradour gets points for being nonconformist, but that's about it.

Looking at its whiskybase scores, I see I'm probably alone in my opinion of the stuff. I've set aside one ounce of the whisky, reduced to 46%abv. It'll sit for a bit, maybe a month. If the whisky changes at that point, I'll update this post. But right now, the Ballechin wins by a good measure.

Availability - might still be around in Continental Europe
Pricing - around €100?
Rating - 79

Ballechin Batch 6, Bourbon Cask Matured

Before the 200+ single cask Ballechins swarmed the market, Edradour had released eight small batches of their young peated single malt (Ballechin), each with its own maturation scheme. Batch 3, aged in port-seasoned hogsheads, was pretty great per my palate. I also had a chance to try today's batch (number 6) at the distillery and was again impressed, especially with its unique coffee note. So far I like these baby Ballechins more than their current, older sibs.

This past weekend I enjoyed comparing this NAS 46%abv peater with a cask strength non-peated Edradour. They bore little resemblance, but more about that on Friday. On to the Ballechin review!

Distillery: Edradour
Malt: Ballechin
Ownership: Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky Co., Ltd.

Region: Highlands (Central)
Age: ???

Bottling year: 2011

Maturation: Bourbon Barrels
Limited Bottling: 6000

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant added? No
(from a purchased sample)

NOTES
The peat does indeed have a coffee grounds character to it in the nose. The mint extract and anise. Small notes of a sugar glaze, cigarettes and smoked fish. The palate balances light sweetness, gentle citrus and moderate peat. It also has an OBE-like note of glass and metal. Bitter smoke builds with time. There's a tiny bit of vanilla but there's much more apricot and white peach. It finishes with limes, cigarettes and seaweed. Just a little bit of sweetness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This very solid peated whisky reminds me of the early Kilchoman Machir Bay release with more maturity and maybe a few drops of Laphroaig thrown in. Like Batch 3, it reads even larger than its 46%abv, while also being dangerously drinkable. Though it's not the most complex peated whisky, the little bits of fruit in the palate and the coffee grounds in the nose give it some very cool angles. Yeah, I'd choose this over the 10-year-old.

On Friday, a sherried Edradour. But for now...

Availability - Maybe the secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87

Knob Creek 14 year old 2004 Brown Sweetness Vol. 1

I went to see a guy about a bottle. I wanted a bourbon. And for my sins he gave me one.

"He" is MAO, a renaissance blogger, person pisser-offer and high priest of The Northfield Whisk(e)y Tendency. N.W.T. selected a private barrel of bourbon and MAO documented the process very well back in September.

I don't always buy bourbon, but when I do it's a private bottling. And though, yes, even those bottles hold mass-produced tempered poison, there's something slightly more human about them. Sometimes one knows the person who selected the barrel, or at least knows a person who knows the person who did it. And, like single cask single malts, private barrels are often a little off brand, a little better, a little worse, a little crazier, a little different than the massive batches pumped out by large distilleries.

As much as some of us would hate to admit it, Beam McDonalds Microsoft Starbucks Suntory has been known to make a good bottle of bourbon. And when their Knob Creeks are on, they are ON. So I was happy to see N.W.T. went with a Knob Creek, a 14 year old (positively ancient these days) at that.

Here's a tasteful photo of the bottle:

Here's a tasteless photo of the bottle:

  REDACTED  

And here's the very cool N.W.T. label, designed by Doug:

Owner: Beam Suntory
Brand: Knob Creek
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery
Location: Clermont, Kentucky
Mash Bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley (maybe?)
Age: 14 years (14 October 2004 - 9 May 2019)
Warehouse: W-I
Floor: F-04
Rick: R-018
ABV: 60% ABV

This review of this 60%abv whiskey began about one-third of the way down the bottle. It ended in the emergency room. I kid, kid. Sort of.

NEAT
The nose has that romantic woodiness that only American whiskey can pull off, and Scotch cannot, no matter how hard those companies try. Think cooperage + antique furniture + a whiff of maple syrup. And the vanilla isn't, well, vanilla. There's citrus and smoke to it. There are also dried cherries, dried apricots, a hint of root beer and a sprinkle of Beam's peanut dust. The palate lands a hot peppery punch at first sip. So it does need some air. Then comes honey, lemons, halva, banana and maybe some stone fruits. No woody bitterness, and more caramel sauce than vanilla. The finish mostly matches the palate. It's warm and peppery with lemons, bananas and a moderate sweetness.

I am of the sensitive sort, so I'm going to add water...

DILUTED TO ~50%abv, < 1¼ tsp per 30mL whiskey
The nose's vanilla has gone straight to the bean and is joined by almond extract. The oak reads more toasty than charred, with a little bit of wood spice coming through. Also some lemon zest and pineapple. More fruit than vanilla in the palate. Dried apricots, dried peaches and lemons. Ginger beer and candy canes. The finish seems longer at this strength; sweeter and more complex too. Lemon sorbet, fresh ginger, candy canes and a pinch of salt.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Normally bourbons older than 12 years read too bitter and lopsided to my palate, but not this one. It's the fruits! The palate lifts right off at 50%abv, while the nose does more than fine at either strength. Reducing it to 50%abv also works well for old fashioneds and Manhattans. This is the only bottle of bourbon I have open right now and I'm glad of it. Great selection, MAO! Thank you for letting me relieve N.W.T. of a bottle. I hope there will be a second volume!

Rating - I'm happier than a cow drinking her own barrel-aged milk!

Auchroisk 24 year old 1989 Cadenhead Small Batch

I had heard good things about this bottling, but by the time I got around to searching for a bottle, it had sold out. Yes, an Auchroisk had sold out. Why? Sherry casks. Luckily I was able to buy a sample from Master of Malt just before their company sold and their doors were closed to Americans.

This sample was sipped side-by-side with yesterday's Auchroisk, another sherry butt-ed 24 year old. They were very different whiskies.

Distillery: Auchroisk
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Speyside (Central)

Independent Bottler: Cadenhead
Range: Small Batch

Age: 24 years old (1989 - Marc 2014)

Maturation: "Butts"
Outturn: 1140

Alcohol by Volume: 57.5%
(from a purchased sample)

NEAT
Rich, hefty sherry in the nose. It's almost smoky. Coffee and Luxardo cherries. There are roses and clementines but a sharp lime nip keeps things from getting too pretty. The palate is indeed that of a sherry bomb. Think: well-aged Glenfarclas meets the better Kavalan sherry casks. And while notes of prunes and dried apricots can be found, dates (and lots of 'em) lead the way. Then mint, nutmeg, cloves, toffee pudding and peach candy go the rest of the way. Dates, cloves and mint make up most of the finish. A hint of peach candy. A savory note appears later on.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Water brings out a beefy note in the nose, which goes well with the mint and cherries. Then some citrus, spun sugar and new leather. More bitter chocolate and black coffee in the palate. Hints of dried cherries and cranberries. Just a little bit more sweetness. The finish mirrors the palate, with more weight on the fruit.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Ardmore got whupped by Aultmore and Auchroisk this week! I would not have thought it possible. This Auchroisk was my favorite whisky of the week, but it's so close between that the scores are ignorable, as they always are. The cask strength was the difference because this whisky did very well with and without the dilution. It also demonstrates (once again) that a single malt doesn't have to be a Glen or a Mac to merge well with sherry casks. I love the intense date notes, and I hope to find them in other whiskies someday soon.

Availability - Perhaps Cadenhead shops still have bottles? Otherwise, it's gone.
Pricing - €120-€140
Rating - 89

Auchroisk 24 year old 1990 van Wees The Ultimate, cask 13829

I was going to do one "Three Speyside As" post, but each one of the three As was its own beast. So here we go, continuing the five-post week...

Two and a half years ago, I encouraged Columbus Scotch Night to include one twenty-something Auchroisk in an upcoming tasting. They did. The whisky was not loved. And skepticism of my choices began.

Anyway, I like 20+ year old Auchroisk. It's a quirky malt in its youth, but takes to age very well. The van Wees folks have bottled four well-aged 1990 casks of Auchroisk in their The Ultimate range. Three were hoggies, the fourth (this one) was from a refill sherry butt.

Distillery: Auchroisk
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Speyside (Central)

Bottler: van Wees (The Ultimate series)

Age: 24 years (15 August 1990 - 23 July 2015)

Maturation: refill sherry butt
Cask number: 13829
Limited bottling: 630

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Colorant? No

NOTES
The nose starts with a big farmy whooof. It's kinda Ben Nevish. There's moss, dunnage and yeast, yet there are also flowers and citrus zests. Some dried berry notes (from the cask?) appear after 30 minutes. Moss and musty dunnage funk lead off the palate as well, followed by citrons, oranges and rosewater. Hints of toffee and earth, horseradish and metal. Though there's plenty of citrus essence in the finish, there's no sugar. There's also salt, black coffee and kiln smoke.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
As per my notes, this whisky is for a specific palate. Mine! It's odd, unrefined and entertaining. There's no alcohol heat left in it, so it drinks quickly if one likes the flavors. And I'm happy to report that no generic raisiny notes appear. But there is something quite phenolic in the mix. Auchroisk's malt is allegedly unpeated, so perhaps this cask's previous inhabitant was a smoky thing. Or it's just a weird cask. Or both. In any case, this is another Speyside that's not just another Speyside.

Availability - A few retailers on the continent
Pricing - €90-€100
Rating - 88

Aultmore 18 year old

I had the chance to try Aultmore 12 year old last January and found it to be a refreshingly malty malt. In fact, it is part of the most grimly titled whisky series yet: The Last Great Malts. I'm rather pessimistic about scotch whisky's future, but "The Last Great Malts"? Bacardi, that is some cold shit.

The time has come to try the official Aultmore 18 year old. It has more cask work involved in its production, compared to its younger sibling. Will that mean it has succumbed to the scotch industry's modern oak love?

Distillery: Aultmore
Ownership: Bacardi Limited (via John Dewar & Sons)
Region: Speyside (Moray)
Age: minimum 18 years
Maturation: bourbon casks and refill sherry casks
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Colorant? No
(from a purchased sample)

NOTES
The nose begins with a bold burst of fermenting fruits (apples, plums and grapes), which is soon joined by roasted barley and fragrant cinnamon. Smaller notes of spearmint gum, orange pixy stix and white peach skins arise later on. The palate balances a sweet fruity note with an edgier mineral side. Salt and pepper. Hint of nutty sherry. A citrus juice note builds with time, but never takes over as its joined by an autumnal leafy note. No vanilla and no tough tannins in the finish. Sweet notes of nectarines and orange pix stix, meet with salt, nuts and butterscotch.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
I like this. A lot. Enough "like" for me to consider buying a bottle. It reminds me of AnCnoc 18, but with less heat and less sherry. It also beats both of this week's Ardmores. All of its elements feel aligned, though it has enough fight in it to keep it from being a simple crowd pleaser. These Last Great Malts are, in fact, pretty good so far.

Availability - USA and Europe
Pricing - $100-$140 USA, €80-€125 Europe
Rating - 88

Bottle Revisited: Ardmore 1991-2013 Malts of Scotland, Rum Barrel

It was time to put an end to this bottle after fifteen months. There are two reasons why an Ardmore would stay open in my home for fifteen months. Either A.) it was so glorious that I needed to stretch out the goodness as long possible or B.) everything else was more tempting to pour. For this bottle, the answer was not A.).

Hold on a moment, I need to address my expectations. Expectations, how could you be so influenced by other people's reviews? We've had many talks about this. Let's just assume that every Ardmore bottle going forward will be bad, like Cutty bad. You hear me? Stay small.

Sorry, I had to do that. I was led to believe this Ardmore's rum cask influence was very minor. I was misinformed. Rum can be great. Ardmore can be great. Now leave Ardmore the fuck alone already. The end. Here's my final pour.

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)

Independent Bottler: Malts of Scotland

Age: ~22 years old (March 1991 - March 2013)

Maturation: Rum barrel
Casks: 13018

Alcohol by Volume: 53.8%
(from the bottom of my bottle)

NEAT
Ashy peat, apples, limes and mint leaf start the nose. Then comes the sugary rum and olive juice. Then flowers and metals. The palate is very very ashy, with olive juice, lime juice and an ashy sweet rum. Something doughy is going on in the midground, and it's all getting increasingly tangy. It finishes with hot sauce heat and ash. Lemon sour candy. Kind of a light-style Hampden.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1⅔ tsp water per 30mL whisky
The ashy peat recedes slightly in the nose, leaving olives, limes, dijon mustard, saline and floral perfume. The palate's still ashy, though less sweet. Pickled ume, black pepper and limes. More pepper, less ash in the finish. More sour fruits and a little bit of sweetness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
The rum cask is as subtle as a shavasana fart, without half the thrill. It took a lot of effort not to write notes like, "Rum nose. Rum palate. Rum finish." Also, I don't mind an ash note, though it's one of the least pleasing characteristics peating provides. But I blame the cask for highlighting it and kicking it forward. Dilution improves matters both rummy and ashy, and I wish I had explored that further, earlier. It's not a bad whisky, but it's not what I thought I was buying. Thus ends the complaint. The next review will be *SPOILER ALERT* happier.

Availability - sold out
Pricing - €99 in 2013
Rating - 81 (diluted)