Whisky of the Week — The Factory

The distillery (then known as Glenforres ) was founded around 1825 and was known as Edradour by 1837. Edradour produces only 90000 litres annually and still claims to be Scotland's smallest distillery; it isn't since the founding of Kilchoman in 2005. Other small craft distilleries have also sprouted, like once dormant mushrooms, nurtured by the current whisky boom. The distillery also produces peated whisky under the name Ballechin. Some older bottlings still use name Glenforres. Located close to the town of Perthshire, Edradour is well worth a visit; an idyllic location and a picture perfect distillery.

The 1999 Cask Strength is well presented in a simple cardboard tube and engraved decanter style bottle. The Ibisco decanter is a lovely thing you wont throw away when the bottle is empty. Previous Edradour sippings have included the magnificent 2003 Bourbon cask 57.4% which, despite much competition and its relative youth (7 years), remains my favorite Bourbon cask whisky of recent years. This 15 year old is from a sherry cask that yielded 692 bottles. Natural colour, not chill-filtered.

Nose: Wet baled hay, chilli peppers, mustiness increasing with time, crushed mint leaves, vinegar. I'm not having fun. Taste: Not as hot as expected at 58.2% but quite soapy, needs some time. I will leave this for a while, just talk quietly amongst yourselves....

Hitch says one of these is too soapy. The other is dishwashing liquid.

Half an hour later it isn't much better, in fact, it may be even worse. Water just changes the brand of soap. Quite sharp. The finish is bitter and mercifully short.

I'm done here. This whisky has so many problems it isn't worth continuing with. A bad bottle? Perhaps. We would need another sample to be sure. There is nothing wrong with the cork. At over $100 for this bottle I am, to say the least, disappointed. It isn't undrinkable but it isn't worth drinking either. I won't even risk contaminating the Solera (more on Soleras later) with this. I shan't draw any conclusions about the distillery from one bottle, particularly considering the magnificence of some other Edradour bottlings. However, once bitten...58/100

William Crampton

Glengoyne's NAS Cask Strength replaced the 10YO Cask Strength version. Now up to batch 3, how does it compare to the Aberlour and Glenfarclas cask strength sherry monsters of preceding weeks? Read on...The lack of colouring or chill filtration is clearly stated on the only place it matters; the label of the bottle! Off to a good start Glengoyne. Comprised of some young and some older whiskies from both first fill and refill sherry (Oloroso I believe) casks, bottled at 58.2%.Available in the summer of 2015 from Dan Murphy at $99AU, which, at current exchange rates is less than it costs in Scotland; pretty good value. Nick's have the 12 year old version for $199AU; this I have not tried.

Colour: Muscat. Nose: Oloroso sherry, damp straw, licorice, sultanas, rosehip, apricots and white pepper. A sip is instantly mouthfilling; silky, creamy mouthfeel. Oh, this is good! Fine Pedro Ximenez sherry, lashings of dark fruit, oak, dates. Coats the tongue, infiltrates every corner of the mouth before an extended spelunking expedition down the throat. Imagine the perfect christmas cake, fresh from the oven, moist, hot, yes, pleasantly hot. Only needs a drop of water as a catalyst to release a dark fruit flavour onslaught that lingers on and on and on.....exquisite toffee now, laced with macadamia nut...This is developing magnificently in the glass. At 58.2% ABV it's hot but in a comforting way. It envelopes the senses, warms to the bone. Two drams while I write and my face feels like I'm relaxing by a roaring fire, the radiated heat lulling me into contemplation. So satisfying, ah, serenity. This is what good whisky is about; it evokes memory; sensory and experiential. It warms the soul. It stimulates and challenges the senses. This is an excellent dram. Its youth manifests as a fresh flavour, er, not explosion, a reaction. It develops, as if in slo-mo, in the mouth, allowing one to experience every nuance of the experience. Glengoyne have used some good casks here. I've just poured my third (generous) dram and so, my friends, my written appreciation shall now end and I shall retreat to the porch to watch this evenings moon rise and contemplate it's magnificence, faithful hound by my side. That's the sort of dram this is. 89/100

William Crampton

Edradour Cask Strength 1999 Cask 2124 58.2% ABV 2014

Glengoyne Cask Strength Batch 3 58.2% ABV 2015