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Edradour 1999 German Fortified Wine Barrique Finish

Christopher Hayn — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:55:08 +0000

The Edradour 2000 Frühburgunder Barrique Finish and the Edradour 2000 Spätburgunder Barrique Finish were both kinda solid but not really “spectacular” to be honest. But, we have one more to go.

The Edradour 1999 German Fortified Wine Barrique Finish was initially matured for 14 years in ex Bourbon Hogsheads and was then finished for 24 months in a German Fortified Wine (aka some sort of port-style wine) barrique cask, made of American Oak.

Facts

Edradour 1999 German Fortified Wine Barrique Finish

Name:	Edradour 1999 German Fortified Wine Barrique Finish
Distilled:	29.03.1999
Bottled:	22.10.2015
Age:	16 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Edradour
Cask Type:	German Fortified Wine Barrique Finish
Number of Bottles:	290
Strength:	54.4% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Very port-like as expected. Lots and lots of plums, currants and dried fruits. Also pretty nutty with hazelnuts and walnuts.

Taste

Dry. The alcohol is more noticeable now. Dried citrus fruits, plums and some red berries in bitter chocolate. Becomes a bit peppery after a while.

Finish

Long. Dry and spicy. Oak, fresh menthol and currants.

Overall

Not a “real” port wine finish and that shows a bit. Intense and strong, but not that well rounded.

Score: 83 / 100

Edradour 2000 Spätburgunder Barrique Finish

Christopher Hayn — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:53:59 +0000

Alright, the Edradour 2000 Frühburgunder Barrique Finish was not really my type of dram. It’s just a bit too vinous for my taste. Anyways, let’s see if the next one is any better.

The Edradour 2000 Spätburgunder Barrique Finish was also initially matured for 13 years in ex Bourbon Hogsheads and was then finished for 24 months in a Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) barrique cask, this time made of French Oak.

Facts

Edradour 2000 Spätburgunder Barrique Finish

Name:	Edradour 2000 Spätburgunder Barrique Finish
Distilled:	28.06.2000
Bottled:	22.10.2015
Age:	15 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Edradour
Cask Type:	Spätburgunder Barrique Cask Finish
Number of Bottles:	372
Strength:	46.0% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

A bit sweetish, but not too much. Vanilla, caramel and honey, alongside wet wood. Dried fruits emerge, together with hints of red apples and peaches.

Taste

Rich but smooth. Strawberries and cherries balanced by pepper. Followed by citrus fruits and hints of floral honey and oak.

Finish

Long. Dry and spicy. Dried fruits and a bit of oak.

Overall

The wine finish works a bit better here and is less dominant. Not a stunner, but satisfactory and not as vinous as the Frühburgunder version.

Score: 84 / 100

Edradour 2000 Frühburgunder Barrique Finish

Christopher Hayn — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:51:50 +0000

A few years ago, Andrew Symington, owner of Edradour, decided to do a collaboration with Klaus Singer-Fischer, owner of the winery Singer-Fischer. The result were three Edradour single malts finished in wine casks provided by Singer-Fischer. They were a complete success, so the two decided to join forces again. In autumn 2013, Singer-Fischer sent Symington another three barrique casks (225 liter each).

And here they are: three new single cask expressions, all finished in different kinds of wine casks.

The first one I want to review today is the Edradour 2000 Frühburgunder Barrique Finish. It was initially matured for 13 years in ex Bourbon Hogsheads and was then finished for 2 years in a rare Frühburgunder (Pinot Noir Précoce) barrique cask made of American Oak.

Facts

Edradour 2000 Frühburgunder Barrique Finish

Name:	Edradour 2000 Frühburgunder Barrique Finish
Distilled:	28.06.2000
Bottled:	22.10.2015
Age:	15 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Edradour
Cask Type:	Frühburgunder Barrique Cask Finish
Number of Bottles:	366
Strength:	46.0% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Not only does the color reminds me of a rose wine, but so does the aroma. A fresh and fruity rose wine to be exact. Strawberries, sour cherries and some other berries, accompanied by vanilla and hints of charred oak.

Taste

Dry and a bit sweet, but as not fruity as the nose promised. Red berries and vanilla, balanced by some spices. A tiny bit of glazed ginger and citrus fruits. Becomes more oaky towards the end. Very vinous overall.

Finish

Medium and drying with a good portion of oak. Bitter chocolate glazed ginger, hints of dry earth and… roquefort blue cheese?

Overall

Still identifiable as a single malt, but as one with a very dominant wine finish. Not something for everyone.

Score: 83 / 100

Edradour 2000 ‘Straight From The Cask’ Chardonnay Finish

Christopher Hayn — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 17:05:21 +0000

For such a small distillery, Edradour has a remarkably wide range of different expressions. So what I want to do in the future is some sort miniseries where I compare an expression form their ‘Cask Matured’ Series (full matured in different wine casks, bottled at 46%) with its respective counterpart from their ‘Straight From The Cask’ Series (finished in different wine casks, bottled at cask strength). I am honestly excited to find out how the different maturation process and the different bottling strength fare against each other.

For the start I picked the Edradour 2003 Chardonnay Cask Matured (Batch 2) which will compete against the Edradour 2000 ‘Straight From The Cask’ Chardonnay Finish.

Facts

Edradour 2000 ‘Straight From The Cask’ Chardonnay Finish

Name:	Edradour 2000 ‘Straight From The Cask’ Chardonnay Finish
Distilled:	30.06.2000
Disgorged / Into Cask:	22.11.2008
Bottled:	09.01.2013
Age:	12 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Edradour
Cask Type:	Ex-Bourbon Casks, Finish in Chardonnay Hogshead
Number of Bottles:	445
Strength:	56.7% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Overripe fruit sweetness. Bananas, cinnamon buns, fudge and honeyed barley. The alcohol is merely noticeable at all.

Taste

Full-bodied but the alcohol burn is manageable. A lot of fruity sweetness. Ripe bananas, sweet limes and caramelized grapes. Honeycomb. A touch of colored pepper.

Finish

Long and rather mild. A big portion of baked honey bananas. Again a touch of pepper. Drying towards the end.

Overall

A big but not overpowered whisky with a lot of fruity sweetness.

Overall: 88 / 100

Edradour 2003 / 2013 Chardonnay Cask Matured (Batch 2)

Christopher Hayn — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 06:00:52 +0000

For the start I picked the Edradour 2003 Chardonnay Cask Matured (Batch 2) which will compete against the Edradour 2000 ‘Straight From The Cask’ Chardonnay Finish.

Normally, I do not put an emphasis on the color of whisky but here I am really impressed by it. Keep in mind, this single malt was matured for only nine short years and Edradour never colors. So they must have been used some exceptional casks I guess.

Facts

Edradour 2003 Chardonnay Cask Matured (Batch 2)

Name:	Edradour 2003 Chardonnay Cask Matured (Batch 2)
Distilled:	December 2003
Bottled:	February 2013
Age:	9 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Edradour
Cask Type:	Chardonnay Casks
Number of Bottles:	2,150
Strength:	46.0% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Earth, hints of oak and something that reminds me of noble rot from Sauternes wines. Grapes, figs, dates and raisins. Followed by a lot of honey and sweet toffee.

Taste

Sweet with a lot of lavender honey. A short intermezzo of white pepper followed by sour citrus fruits.

Finish

Long and sweet with a bit of dry oak and spices.

Overall

Not what I would have necessarily expected from a full maturation in Chardonnay casks but I really enjoyed the uniqueness of it.

Score: 86 / 100