Another new product crossed my desk. This one is the fourth edition of the heavily peated Edradour called Ballechin.

Let me throw this out to everyone. What have been your experiences with previous releases? I honestly must admit that I have never reviewed any of these formally and my experiences have been spotty.

EDRADOUR ANNOUNCES THE FOURTH RELEASE FROM BALLECHIN, THE DISCOVERY SERIES
Edradour’s Heavily-Peated Highland Single-Malt Whiskey, #4 The Oloroso Sherry Casks

Ballechin 4 frontMT. PLEASANT, SC (October 22, 2009) — Scotland’s Smallest Distillery, Edradour, releases the fourth distillation of Ballechin, The Discovery Series, a program to age scotch whiskey solely in wine casks, instead of the usual bourbon casks. “Since acquiring Edradour distillery in 2002, I have pursued an extensive program of experimentation. Several heavily peated distillations have been produced initially on a very limited scale, and these are being matured in a wide range of wood types. The phenol content of the malt used in production is not less than 50 parts per million,” said Edradour Owner Andrew Symington in July 2009.

The Oloroso Sherry Cask has been matured solely in first fill Oloroso Sherry Butts and produced a total of 6,000 bottles, offered in 70 cl and 750ml. The scotch whiskey is 46% alcohol by volume and is imported by Total Beverage Solution.  Other Ballechin releases include a Burgundy cask matured, a Port cask matured, and a Madeira cask matured.

Scotland’s Highland malts enjoy a unique depth of flavor and quality that’s the result of a fine blend of altitude and mountain water. For many connoisseurs, with its exquisitely smooth and creamy texture, with just a hint of smokiness, Edradour is the jewel in the Highland crown. For more information on Edradour and other TBS brands, log onto www.totalbeveragesolution.com/media/ to download a media kit.

Edradour
Edradour is the smallest whiskey distillery in Scotland and the last original ‘farm’ distillery in Perthshire, nestled in a glen in the hills above Pitlochry in the Southern Highlands; possibly the smallest legal distillery of any kind in the world. John Reid and his two assistants hand-craft Edradour without automation, using skills handed down through generations. For centuries the people of Edradour and other remote regions enjoyed malt whisky making as a natural by-product of farming life. The natural ingredients of barley, pure water, and peat have been available in Scotland in abundance since time immemorial. At a weekly output of a mere 600 gallons – enough to fill twelve casks – what Edradour makes in a year, a typical Speyside distillery would produce in a week. Only the finest spirit is laid down by Reid into hand-selected oak casks for the ten year long wait before it can take the name of Edradour. During the aging process the whisky is regularly monitored with the same care and attention that it took to produce it. It is a small wonder, then, that Edradour can be a little hard to track down, making it a rare pleasure for a fortunate few. Edradour is currently exported to France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Russia, USA, Japan, South Africa, Taiwan and New Zealand.