In 2002, when Andrew Symington took over the Edradour distillery, he called on lain Henderson, former director of Laphroaig, to create a second, very peaty single malt. Called Ballechin, it is made from malted barley with a phenol content of up to 50 ppm, which is comparable to that of the most peaty and smoky malts on the island of Islay. Bottled at its natural level, this version is the perfect embodiment of the smooth and oily style of this single malt, which over the years has become a must for the most demanding peated whisky lovers.

Tasting Notes

Colour : Golden yellow.

Nose: Rich, unctuous. On the first nose, a greasy and oily peat (smoked salmon) covers an otherwise intensely smoky aromatic palette. Notes of bacon, soot and creosote then come to the fore. This first stage of the tasting is punctuated with medicinal touches (camphor, iodine tincture).  The baked pudding notes coming through are unmistakeable and highly seductive.

Palate: Lively, dynamic. Extremely smoky and spicy (pepper, nutmeg), the attack on the palate is at the same time very elegant and racey. In the mid-palate, succulent notes of vanilla and coconut bring an invigorating yet velvety freshness to the taste palette. The aftertaste is chocolaty and salty (mineral salts).

Finish: Long, balanced. At the beginning of the finish, bacon and leather flavours resurface and underline an evolution towards a more animal register. In the aftertaste, malted barley plays the main role. This is confirmed by a retro olfaction that literally takes us into a malting area. Of course, peat and smoke are also omnipresent.