Episode 3: Edradour 12 Year Cask Strength

The Pot Still Column: Episode 3

Edradour 12 Year Cask Strength Sherry-Finished Scotch Whisky

Proof: 110.2

Age: 12 Years

Finish: Sherry Cask

Source: Edradour Distillery (Perthshire, Scotland)

Price: $127.36 (£105.00)

I'll make it no secret that I prefer malt whiskeys to bourbons and most ryes, so the opportunity to review an excellent single malt is always a welcome one. Even more exciting is the opportunity to review a single malt that was sampled to me by a friend.

Those who have been active in whiskey social circles for any period of time will know that sample sharing is one of the simple pleasures of the whiskey community. Sampling is a great way to make connections, start a conversation, and quell the burning urge to buy every single bottle in existence. More often than not, the person giving you the samples will curate them to include whiskies that you've never tried before in hopes of expanding your horizons. The best samples are blind samples, gifted with the intention of inspiring an unbiased review of the mystery whiskey, unhindered by hype, brand preference, and preconceptions.

While not a blind sample, my lack of knowledge about Edradour's line of scotch whiskies acts as a bias-buffer while reviewing this. To tell you the truth, I've never even heard of Edradour. I wouldn't consider myself inexperienced when it comes to scotch by any means, but my knowledge is not as thorough here as it is for American whiskey. Edradour isn't a common name on store shelves, at least not in California, so my exposure has been pitifully limited.

Pouring this into my glass, I am already taken aback by the color. The Scottish malt is a dark red, nearly black, and when held up to the light it lets none through. Normally a color this dark on scotch strongly indicates the use of an artificial coloring agent, normally in the form of the caramel coloring, E150 (colouring for you Scotts out there). A little research reveals that Edradour derives all of its color naturally, pulling the reddish hue instead from the sherry casks in which the malt is finished. This being said, the color is still abnormally dark, suggesting that they may have "finished" their distillate in a less-than-empty sherry cask. Apparently, Edradour has amassed a bit of a reputation for using the wettest casks in the industry for their "finishing". Whether the casks are wet, dry, or full matters not, however, because the result is absolutely stunning.

Disclaimer: the image above is not mine, as I do not own a full bottle to

photograph (The Whisky Company)

Nosing this, I could be convinced that it is a particularly rich glass of straight sherry. Ripe blackberries explode from the glass, followed closely by raisin-loaded bread pudding and a dark malt that comes through in abundance. I've found that there are generally two types of scotch profiles: crisp, apple-forward malts, and dark, musty, dried-fruit-forward malts. This fits snugly into the second variety, although it doesn't have any of the sometimes off-putting, prune juice notes that can ruin a good dark malt. The dried fruit on this is subtle and exceptionally well-incorporated into the sherry-heavy profile, presenting as raisins baked into a creamy cinnamon pastry rather than straight out of the box.

Taking a sip confirms that the raisin note crosses into and develops even more thoroughly in the flavor, along with fruity light-roast coffee and an ever-so-slight note of burnt sherry dregs on the finish. There is a surprisingly small amount of tannins on the finish, but it is slightly drying in a not at all unpleasant way.

This whisky reminds me of a limited release I once tried from Liberty Call Distilling in San Diego, CA. The limited run was a paxxed American single malt, and it carried many of the same flavors that I now find in this Edradour 12 Year. For those who don't know, a paxxed whiskey is one aged in a barrel treated with paxarette, a condensed PX sherry syrup that originated in Spain. Paxarette was once a common tool in the the production of scotch whisky, but the Scotch Whisky Act of 1988 rendered it obsolete by prohibiting the use of additives in whisky production. Legal or not, paxarette provides an intense sherry experience, complementing the use of bland sherry casks by introducing a concentrated sherry element. Edradour 12 Cask Strength, while almost certainly not made with paxarette, has achieved the same level of sherry density.

The flavors brought to mind more closely resemble a sherry reduction or jam than anything strictly liquid. A splash of water uncovers yet another layer of flavor at no cost to the density--- definitely add water.

Closing Impression:

Edradour 12 Year Cask Strength is a sherried malt in its purest form and a deeply satisfying pour. If you're looking for an easy sipper, I suggest you look elsewhere. If you love the jammy richness of sherry and are looking for a thought-provoking, dense and syrupy whisky with maximum flavor per drop (FPD), this is the scotch for you.

93/100