Two or three Edradour 2011


March 13, 2023

Two or three Edradour 2011

Love, love, love (and love) Edradour, Pitlochry's little duck that became quite an eagle within just two decades. Let's have two, or maybe three…

Master and fan at Edradour in 2007. This cask was particularly good! (WF Archive)

Edradour 10 yo 2011/2022 (46%, Signatory Vintage, The Un-chillfiltered Collection, cask #481)

Most certainly ex-fresh sherry, according to the colour. One question remains open: is this an independent bottling or is it an official one? Colour: brown amber. Nose: classic earthy and chocolaty sherry. Liquid chocolate, really, plus walnut wine and damp earth, basement floor, sticky toffee pudding and coffee liqueur. These batches are well-known, no wonder. Mouth: rich, easier at 46% than some counterparts at full strength, yet rather peppery at first, with some green peppercorn and touches of bone-dry fino, then the expected chocolaty extravaganza, then walnuts, dried fruits and some pipe tobacco… Finish: a tiny hint of Edradour's trademark leatheriness, plus tobacco and liquorice. Rather clove in the aftertaste. Comments: a very oloroso-y dry Edradour, rather similar to the old official 10 years old from the 1990s, only ten times better (remember the scale is logarithmic). Whisky is magic.
SGP:462 - 86 points.

Edradour 10 yo 2011/2022 (60.10%, OB for Navigate World Whisky, second fill Châteauneuf du Pape, cask #396, 268 bottles)

Careful, this was fully matured in Châteauneuf (think heavy grenache in majority; unless it was white Châteauneuf), but great news, it was refill. The colour will tell us more. Colour: gold (not pink, hurray!) Nose: no heady red fruit and berries, no heavy jams, rather some cassata, Lyons' praline tarte, perhaps touches of bananas flambéed? But it's strong, so… With water: a little hay at first, then indeed, preserved cherries, then cereals, brown ale, chocolate, a little damp oak, milk chocolate… I don't find it winey and that makes me happy. Mouth: feels natural, punchy, tighter than usual, with almonds, stems and stalks but then again, 60%+… With water: it takes water very well, shooting lovely grassy spices, leaves, cigarette tobacco, zests as well, touch of old wood... Finish: long, more on spicy cakes, banana cake, hochicha tea (roasted)… And hurray, still no obvious red berries and fruits! Totally love them, just not in my whisky. Comments: a lovely bottling for South Africa; the popes were right back in the 14th century. No, that would be too long.
SGP:461 - 87 points.

Edradour 10 yo 2011/2021 (60.4%, OB for Whisky Picnic Bar Taiwan, first fill Marsala hogshead, cask #83, 400 bottles)

Marsala this time, and first fill at that. But there are several kinds of Marsala, Marsala being Italy's (rather Sicily's), sherry, in a way. Let's see… Colour: deep gold. Nose: a little blocked, but that's the high alcohol I'm sure. Some fudge, wine fudge, quince paste (a sin)… With water: white chocolate and bergamot cream, some unexpected whiffs of eucalyptus and camphor, then old barrel, damp old wood… Mouth (neat): take plums and bananas, let simmer with pepper and much chilli, add gelatine, let cool down. There. Oh and add a lot of ethanol. With water: gets very spicy. Big pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg clove, allspice… Well, spices. Finish: long and extremely spicy. Comments: rather a little mental. It started almost smooth and got then spicier than phaal curry. Quite.
SGP:571 - 84 points.

Check the index of all Edradour we've tasted so far