Review #296 - Ballechin 12 Year Burgundy Cask Matured
Edradour's peated counterpart, branded as Ballechin, is matured in a vast array of cask types, leading to some interesting flavor combinations. The brands states that the phenol levels in the barley are a minimum of 50 ppm, so this falls right into that 'heavily peated' category of single malt, although it doesn't always show up that way in the final product.
Ballechin was actually a neighboring distillery near Edradour, but it was closed in the 1920s, during Prohibition [in fact, these distilleries have quite an interesting history, much of which is tied in with mobsters, bootlegging, and Prohibition]. Edradour, owned since 2002 by Andrew Symington of independent bottler Signatory Vintage, resurrected the name for their peated brand.
This single cask was selected for a local spirits retailer - Vine and Table. It was matured in a Burgundy wine cask for 12 years, comes with a vintage of 2005, and it bottled at a lovely cask strength of 57.5% ABV, with no added coloring or chill filtration. While there are a number of Burgundy-matured Ballechin releases with varying age statements, this one yielded only 262 bottles.
Ballechin 12 Year Burgundy Cask Matured
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 160 (2024)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 57.5% ABV
Cask Makeup: Fully matured in a Burgundy wine cask
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask no. 316; distilled October 2005, bottled July 2018; 262 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 2 months; bottles at 40% and 30% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Deep, dark, and dirty. Old school wine cask influence, definitely cask driven - sulphur, cherries, seedy prunes, and figs. There's charred barbecue and a bit of musty, funky character, along with hints of menthol in the spirit; peat has a medium strength. With time, the red fruit turns syrupy and sweet, like candied strawberries.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; all sorts of interesting layers come about - savory, dirty, fruity, smoky. The spirit is vegetal and slightly lactic like yogurt, and the casks brings tons of fruit: oranges, dry figs, raspberries. There's cinnamon spice and a tartness from the red wine. Cola, or sassafras and root beer... pretty filthy.
Finish: Medium-long, and fruits are strong: orange and figs, especially. Peat is milder now, and there's a nice mix of sweet, tart, and sour. Char adds to the smoky presence, and we get strong mineral notes, cola flavors, and red berries as the aftertaste continues.
Final Note: Wonderful, powerful, unforgiving whisky. It's complex and grabs your attention, and while there isn't a strong alcohol bite despite the higher strength, the flavors will certainly smack the tongue around. A great mix of fruit, medium smoke, savory notes, lactic yogurt, and sulphur/industrial notes... very well layered, and it provides an evolving experience for a while.
This is a great whisky, and the price reflects that - these single casks aren't cheap. $160 is a lot for a bottle of whisky, but if we saw one on the shelf, we would surely be tempted; value is probably about average, as the great flavors and higher cost offset each other.
Our Average Rating: 8.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.26
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Edradour reviews:
