Whisky : Edradour “Ballechin” 16 Year; Signatory “Un-Chillfiltered Collection”

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 58.9%

Cask : Refill Islay Ex-Sherry Butt

Age : 16 Years (Distilled 12 April 2003, Bottled 4 Sept. 2019)

Nose : Right next to the grill: smoked pork, charred peppers, charcoal smoke— waves of sweet, meat, and smoke. Beyond the smokey open sit caramelized fruits, salty ocean breeze, and sweet fire roasted salsa. Hints of pool chemicals, salted bacon, and dried berries add depth to the overall profile.

Palate :  Medium bodied, the dram opens with a blast of smoke off a greasy grill.  Further in are notes of sweet char siu, caramelized fruits, and smoked salmon oil.  There is a bit of funky sherry umami that reminds me a lot of black sesame pudding or ice cream.  The wife highlighted smokey baking spices— vanilla and cinnamon— as being the dominant characteristics on her palate.  A bit of sulfur lurks near the back along with sour plum and tart green apple sauce. 

Finish :  Lovely lingering dry smoke.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Licking the Unagi Grill.

Something Better : Octomore 6 Year Paulliac R&BT (similar unagi/peppers/grill, more cohesive/depth)

Something Similar : Ledaig 13Y; Single Cask Nation (similar charred pepper/hint of windex, more salt/oil)

Something Worse : Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve (similar sesame/umami, more funk, less complex)

Notes :  This is a palate destroyer.  The first time I tried it, I just plopped it right in the middle of a tasting lineup, totally unaware that it would take over and dominate my taste buds.  After tasting this dram, I could barely taste anything else.  I quickly realized that if I wanted to sit down and review this, it needed to be either the last thing, or, better yet, the only thing I drank that night.  I would not recommend this for a tasting lineup, unless you stashed it at the end, or had a ‘blow up my palate’ kind of night.

I am excited to see if all Ballechin are quite this aggressive and assertive.  While the wife loves a good dram to kick you in the teeth, she found this a bit too sweet, though she did enjoy it.  There was not quite enough meatiness to keep her interested— maybe a bit too much sherry.  I cannot really see myself reaching for this bottle very often either; while the nose was absolutely wonderful, the palate lacked the same depth.  It only hit a few notes, though it hit them hard and hit them well enough that I am ready to try more Ballechin.