Located in Pitlochry, Perthshire, Edradour distillery was bought in 2002 by Andrew Symington, founder of the independent bottling company Signatory Vintage. Matured in a barrel that previously contained a wine from the prestigious southern Côtes-du-Rhône appellation: Châteauneuf du Pape, this version invites us to literally bite into whole bunches of grapes. And this, both aromatically and tastefully. Moreover, with great malty freshness, it gradually reveals itself to be nobly spicy and finely wooded.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Intense gold.
Nose: Delicate, voluptuous. The first nose is instantly smooth, almost oily. Simultaneously, notes of candied ginger as well as a very nice malty and chocolate bitterness give it a lot of tension and depth. Allowed to breathe, the aromatic palette becomes increasingly tannic, spicy (cloves, star anise) and heady (broom, mimosa). Note the impressive rise in power of the aromatic palette.
Palate: Firm, rich. Marked by notes of black grapes, the attack on the palate is very vinous and crispy. In the mid-palate, velvety tannins (grape) narrow the taste buds towards ever greater concentration. Then, gradually, a thin layer of salted butter caramel underlines the quality of an extremely well-integrated woodiness. At this precise moment, grains of malted barley arrive at the right time on the front of the stage.
Finish: Long, full of serenity. Unctuous, the start of the finish is marked by notes of lime blossom honey, while the mouthfeel evokes that of a grain of rice. The deliciously minty aftertaste gradually becomes vanilla and vegetal (verbena, sage). On the retro-nasal olfaction, a fine film of liquorice and notes of walnuts cover the entire palate with smoothness.