Ballechin 2005 11 Year SFTC Bordeaux Cask Matured

Nose - (undiluted) Very light peat, faint brine, charred orange peel, a hint of banana, fresh red berries. (with water) Milder nose, light fruity smoke, subtle goji berry sweetness. Taste - (undiluted) Very intense, musty fruity funk, very light smoke, faint seaweed, salt, peculiar orange. (with water) Strange fruity medicinal bitter smoke, salty peculiar sweetness, musty and metallic. Finish - (undiluted) Lingering intensity, peculiar sweet-savory musty fruit, faint smoke, saline, toasted seaweed. (with water) Less intensity, strange bitter metallic sweetness, salty, musty fruity funk. Score - 61/100 Final Thoughts - This was an interesting one... the initial aroma wasn't too bad. It was intriguing and didn't seem overly strange. That's about where it ends. Once it hits the palate, it's an intense mess of musty fruity funk, and adding water only increases the bitterness and mustiness. It's as if it was stored in a cask with some moss growing on the wood, as the taste was a bit off. It definitely has this peculiar umami salty smoky funk that isn't my favorite. Would I drink it if offered? - No Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No

Some distilleries resonate with me, while others do not. Edradour falls into the latter category. It doesn't produce terrible products, nor does it produce exceptional ones. I evaluate whiskey based on balance, body, and complexity, and Edradour almost always falters at the first criterion. This instance is no different. It remains a good whiskey with the rich wine notes truly shining through, but the flavor profile is quite disjointed. Nevertheless, it's still my first or second choice from this distillery. 3.75 - The individual components are commendable, even though the sum of them doesn't quite add up.

Smooth, rich, and wonderfully intricate. As the bartender remarked, “the only drawback to this whisky is that the bottle is too small.”

Good all-around peaty flavor A buzz - with licorice in the background. Black Jug Oct 2019

A tasting by a friend.

An amazing finish.