Hitch has once again over indulged.
The distillery (then known as Glenforres ) was founded around 1825 and was known as Edradour by 1837. Edradour produces only 90000 litres annually and still claims to be Scotland's smallest distillery; it isn't since the founding of Kilchoman in 2005. Other small craft distilleries have also sprouted, like once dormant mushrooms, nurtured by the current whisky boom. The distillery also produces peated whisky under the name Ballechin. Some older bottlings still use name Glenforres. Located close to the town of Perthshire, Edradour is well worth a visit; an idyllic location and a picture perfect distillery.
Edradour. Gorgeous.
The 1999 Cask Strength is well presented in a simple cardboard tube and engraved decanter style bottle. The Ibisco decanter is a lovely thing you wont throw away when the bottle is empty. Previous Edradour sippings have included the magnificent 2003 Bourbon cask 57.4% which, despite much competition and its relative youth (7 years), remains my favorite Bourbon cask whisky of recent years. This 15 year old is from a sherry cask that yielded 692 bottles. Natural colour, not chill-filtered.
Nose: Wet baled hay, chilli peppers, mustiness increasing with time, crushed mint leaves, vinegar. I'm not having fun. Taste: Not as hot as expected at 58.2% but quite soapy, needs some time. I will leave this for a while, just talk quietly amongst yourselves....
Hitch says one of these is too soapy. The other is dishwashing liquid.
Half an hour later it isn't much better, in fact, it may be even worse. Water just changes the brand of soap. Quite sharp. The finish is bitter and mercifully short.
I'm done here. This whisky has so many problems it isn't worth continuing with. A bad bottle? Perhaps. We would need another sample to be sure. There is nothing wrong with the cork. At over $100 for this bottle I am, to say the least, disappointed. It isn't undrinkable but it isn't worth drinking either. I won't even risk contaminating the Solera (more on Soleras later) with this. I shan't draw any conclusions about the distillery from one bottle, particularly considering the magnificence of some other Edradour bottlings. However, once bitten...58/100
William Crampton
