EDRADOUR CALEDONIA
2024 releaseMASH BILL – 100% malted barley
PROOF – 92
AGE – 12 years
DISTILLERY – Edradour Distillery
PRICE – $65
WORTH BUYING? – Yes
BALLECHIN
2016 releaseMASH BILL – 100% malted barley
PROOF – 92
AGE – 10 years
DISTILLERY – Edradour Distillery
PRICE – $76
WORTH BUYING? – Yes
About a year ago as I’m writing this, there was a flurry of interest in Edradour. I can’t recall why exactly. But suddenly their standard 10 Year release was disappearing from shelves. (This was happening in my area, at least. I don’t know whether it was a widespread thing.) But then, just as suddenly as this interest swelled, it seemed to wane. Or maybe it was simply a matter of all the bottles having been snapped up. There were so few to begin with!
Edradour is a tiny distillery situated centrally in the sprawling Highlands region, in a town called Pitlochry, county Perthshire. There are literally just a handful of employees working there, producing only a dozen or so casks per week on old-school, hands-on equipment. They currently don’t even have enough staff to keep their gift shop open. It’s amazing their whiskies make it out of Scotland at all!
But back in 2016, this bottle of Ballechin 10 Year made it out. It sat on the shelf where it landed in San Francisco until I recently liberated it from its dusty perch. And in early 2025, this Caledonia 12 Year release made a US appearance after several years away. My purchase of the Caledonia prompted me to also finally pick up the Ballechin, which I’d been eyeing for some time already.
Ballechin is Edradour’s peated offering. It first came out in 2003, so this 2016 bottle is from well into the brand’s life and among the early age-stated releases. Most of the whisky was aged in bourbon casks, with a healthy amount of Oloroso casks stirred into the blend.
Similarly, Caledonia starts off in bourbon casks and then spends a handful of its 12 years in Oloroso. It’s an annual single cask offering, not a blend, and is named after the song by Scottish musician, Dougie MacLean. The Caledonia line started in 2009, when MacLean helped select the first cask and took part in the bottling.
Both bottles are surprisingly affordable given Edradour’s limited output. But how are they? As they’re each bottled at 92 proof, I’ll taste the Caledonia first before then wading into the Ballechin’s peat bog.
Here we are, a week and a half after uncorking the Caledonia and three pours into the bottle. These brief notes were taken using a traditional Glencairn.
CALEDONIA
COLOR – deep dark russet and cherry redsNOSE – rich round sherry notes right up front, followed by buttery caramel, dusty oak, subtle wood and wine tannins
TASTE – the sherry takes on a chocolatey quality here, with juicy dark red cherries, nutty barley, and a velvety texture
FINISH – chocolate, syrupy red fruits from the sherry, very subtle oak
OVERALL – a luscious cherry-laden sherry bomb of a single malt
My hesitancy with reputed “sherry bomb” whiskies is the potential for ruinous sulfur notes. But here the sulfur aspect makes such a subtle appearance, it almost goes unnoticed. Tucked away amidst the buttery and chocolatey aspects, it adds complexity rather than undermining or distracting. Caledonia is definitely a dessert pour. The overall richness of it—the dark cherry color and flavors, the chocolate, the velvet texture—begs to be poured after a nice, hearty, meaty meal. And at only 92 proof it holds up its aromas and flavors well without searing the senses. An approachable and interesting whisky to toast an evening and catch up with friends.
And now the Ballechin, tasted a week after uncorking and four pours into the bottle. These brief notes were also taken using a traditional Glencairn.
BALLECHIN
COLOR – slightly sooty honey-ambersNOSE – peat, charcoal smoke and ash, lemon oil, vanilla, caramel, steak lightly charred on a grill, subtle mint
TASTE – very true to the nose, and very balanced between the various flavors, now also with a subtle stewed peach note
FINISH – also very balanced and true to the flavors and aromas that preceded, with a bit of tingling warmth around the edges
OVERALL – who knew “sooty” could be so lovely?
Something I love about peat is how counter-intuitive it can be. How could something one describes with words like “sooty,” “charcoal,” or “ash” possibly be appealing? It’s a purely intellectual conundrum. The visceral experience of such notes certainly can be off-putting. But when balanced with more obviously appealing notes like stewed peach, caramel, or grilled steak, peat’s oddities can contribute to a complex tasting experience conjuring pleasant campfires and comforting meals.
Both whiskies are bottled at 92 proof. Diehard whisky fans clamor for cask strength, and hold anything proofed in the 80s suspect. But sometimes an easygoing 92-proofer is just what I’m in the mood for. It’s strong enough to lift flavors up, and easygoing enough to let me relax into it. And it’s more approachable to more people. When entertaining guests, not everyone might be a regular whisky drinker. For some, 92 proof comes across like fire if their palate is accustomed to mostly wine, beer, or diluted cocktails. So as a whisky fan I can enjoy these two Edradour offerings. And as a host I can confidently share them with friends.
Very well made, and very fairly priced, I can see Edradour becoming a staple on my shelf. A craft-scaled scotch whisky available for cheaper than many American craft whiskeys aged half as long? Yes please. I’ll need to try their standard 10 Year release, which is far more readily available than either bottle currently on my table. But based on Caledonia and Ballechin I have a feeling Edradour’s “standard” will be exceptional as well.
Cheers!
The Right Spirit 