Edradour
Near the Edradour distillery lie the ruins of the Lindores Ruins. This is the birthplace of Aquavite (water of life) that later became the Whisky we know. Edradour is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland.
| Information about the Distillery | |
|---|---|
| Scotland, Highlands | |
| -3.701014 56.701605 | |
| Active | |
| 1 t | |
| 1837 | |
| 100,000 l | |
| http://www.edradour.com |
| Average tasting notes Tasting notes |
Calculated from 3,057
i
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Nosing
Sherry:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Sherry:
Fruit:
Peat Smoke:
Fruit:
Peat Smoke:
Oak:
Oak:
Spices:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Spices:
Dried Fruit:
Caramel:
Nuts:
Dried Fruit:
Caramel:
Honey:
Herb:
Raisin:
Honey:
Herb:
Raisin:
Malt:
Chocolate:
Malt:
Chocolate:
Nuts:
Zitrus:
Berries:
Zitrus:
Berries:
Herbs:
Bonfire Smoke:
Herbs:
Bonfire Smoke:
Almonds:
Grape:
Plum:
Grape:
Ham:
Dark Chocolate:
Ham:
Alcohol:
Leather:
Dark Chocolate:
Almonds:
Leather:
Alcohol:
Plum:
Cherry:
Date:
Fig:
Date:
Cherry:
Cinnamon:
Fig:
Cinnamon:
Orange:
Orange:
Heather:
Maritime Notes:
Blackberry:
Maritime Notes:
Cake:
Heather:
Clove:
Cake:
Clove:
Floral:
Blackberry:
Apple:
Apple:
Oil:
Oil:
Floral:
Coffee:
Pear:
Pepper:
Pear:
Lemon:
Lemon:
Tobacco:
Seaweed:
Tobacco:
Seaweed:
Walnut:
Barley:
Walnut:
Medicinal Smoke:
Pepper:
Barley:
Peach:
Medicinal Smoke:
Black Currant:
Hazelnut:
Hazelnut:
Black Currant:
Coffee:
Pineapple:
Wheat:
Wheat:
Peach:
Nutmeg:
Pineapple:
Nutmeg:
Grass:
Tropical Fruit:
Grass:
Hay:
Hay:
Tropical Fruit:
Banana:
Banana:
Iodine:
Iodine:
Chili:
Chili:
Ginger:
Ginger:
Salt:
Mint:
Coconut:
Lime:
Mint:
Strawberry:
Strawberry:
Salt:
Lime:
Grapefruit:
Red Currant:
Melon:
Coconut:
Melon:
Grapefruit:
Red Currant:
Kiwi:
Kiwi:
Lemon Peel:
Green Apple:
Green Apple:
Lemon Peel:
Tasting
Sweet:
Sweet:
Sherry:
Sherry:
Fruit:
Oak:
Peat Smoke:
Oak:
Spices:
Fruit:
Peat Smoke:
Spices:
Nuts:
Caramel:
Caramel:
Malt:
Malt:
Herb:
Dried Fruit:
Herb:
Dried Fruit:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Nuts:
Raisin:
Honey:
Honey:
Raisin:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Oil:
Oil:
Dark Chocolate:
Herbs:
Dark Chocolate:
Berries:
Herbs:
Berries:
Bonfire Smoke:
Pepper:
Alcohol:
Alcohol:
Bonfire Smoke:
Pepper:
Heather:
Heather:
Orange:
Leather:
Date:
Grape:
Almonds:
Leather:
Orange:
Fig:
Fig:
Grape:
Almonds:
Date:
Cherry:
Cherry:
Cinnamon:
Ham:
Ham:
Cake:
Cake:
Chili:
Plum:
Cinnamon:
Chili:
Plum:
Maritime Notes:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Clove:
Maritime Notes:
Hazelnut:
Tobacco:
Tobacco:
Hazelnut:
Floral:
Clove:
Ginger:
Apple:
Floral:
Ginger:
Apple:
Barley:
Lemon:
Barley:
Lemon:
Seaweed:
Blackberry:
Blackberry:
Seaweed:
Walnut:
Walnut:
Nutmeg:
Nutmeg:
Peach:
Peach:
Salt:
Salt:
Medicinal Smoke:
Medicinal Smoke:
Pineapple:
Tropical Fruit:
Black Currant:
Tropical Fruit:
Pineapple:
Wheat:
Hay:
Wheat:
Hay:
Black Currant:
Pear:
Pear:
Strawberry:
Strawberry:
Anis:
Lime:
Lemon Peel:
Lime:
Iodine:
Grass:
Lemon Peel:
Grass:
Red Currant:
Mint:
Grapefruit:
Mint:
Red Currant:
Kiwi:
Kiwi:
Grapefruit:
Banana:
Banana:
Green Apple:
Green Apple:
Coconut:
Melon:
Melon:
Iodine:
Coconut:
Finish
Sweet:
Oak:
Sweet:
Sherry:
Oak:
Sherry:
Peat Smoke:
Spices:
Peat Smoke:
Spices:
Fruit:
Herb:
Herb:
Nuts:
Malt:
Fruit:
Malt:
Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Nuts:
Dark Chocolate:
Dark Chocolate:
Honey:
Honey:
Vanilla:
Caramel:
Dried Fruit:
Vanilla:
Caramel:
Dried Fruit:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Oil:
Oil:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Pepper:
Raisin:
Alcohol:
Alcohol:
Raisin:
Herbs:
Pepper:
Herbs:
Chili:
Grape:
Leather:
Leather:
Cinnamon:
Chili:
Berries:
Cinnamon:
Bonfire Smoke:
Cake:
Cake:
Grape:
Bonfire Smoke:
Maritime Notes:
Heather:
Berries:
Heather:
Maritime Notes:
Ham:
Tobacco:
Almonds:
Tobacco:
Orange:
Orange:
Fig:
Ham:
Date:
Cherry:
Cherry:
Almonds:
Blackberry:
Seaweed:
Seaweed:
Plum:
Salt:
Plum:
Ginger:
Salt:
Lemon:
Fig:
Ginger:
Medicinal Smoke:
Nutmeg:
Apple:
Medicinal Smoke:
Barley:
Lemon:
Barley:
Date:
Nutmeg:
Walnut:
Walnut:
Blackberry:
Apple:
Hazelnut:
Hay:
Hazelnut:
Clove:
Clove:
Black Currant:
Black Currant:
Floral:
Floral:
Iodine:
Strawberry:
Iodine:
Strawberry:
Mint:
Pear:
Mint:
Hay:
Peach:
Green Apple:
Coconut:
Grapefruit:
Melon:
Pear:
Melon:
Peach:
Coconut:
Red Currant:
Pineapple:
Pineapple:
Lime:
Red Currant:
Wheat:
Green Apple:
Tropical Fruit:
Tropical Fruit:
Lime:
Wheat:
Grapefruit:
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The Whisky
The Edradour distillery has a huge amount of distillery bottlings - maybe the most diverse range of Whiskies in the world. The Whiskies are sorted by series: The Classic Range, The Cask Strength Series, The Wine Finishes, The Wine Matured. They even have a peated range of Whiskies. These are called Ballechin.
The distillery character could best be described as full and intense. A very typical Highland Single Malt with very small pot stills. Yet the owner Andrew Symington has the hobby to mature and finish his Whisky in various different casks from all over Europe. This ranges from Burgundy and Sauternes, to Port and Pedro Ximenez. This results not only in very diverse range of Whiskies, but the individual Whisky is also very diverse and complex when nosed and tasted.
The owner of the distillery, Andrew Symington, is also the owner of the independent bottling company Signatory Vintage. This means all of the bottling is done at Signatory and there are a lot of Signatory releases of Edradour.
Edradour has also a pretty famous cream Liqueur with Edradour Whisky in it. This is one of the most exciting and intense Liqueurs there is on the market. The Highland Scotch gives the cream mixture just the right kick.
There is no known blend that includes the Edradour Malt.
The Production
Edradour is often described as the smallest Whisky distillery there is in Scotland. There are a few smaller distilleries in Scotland. The output of the two pot stills is only about 100,000 litres per year.
The water comes from Ben Vrackie Springs. The distillery lies directly at the small burn Edradour. A few of the buildings are on the other side of the water and can only be reached via a bridge.
The Pot stills
The pot stills are very tiny. The bigger wash still has a capacity of 4,200 litres and the small spirit still of about 2,200 litres. The pot stills the mash tun, the fermenters and the malt mill are all packed into one tiny building.
The Malting
Edradour don't malt their own barley anymore. They only use unpeated malt for their Edradour Whisky. The Ballechin heavily peated Whisky only uses malt that was dried over peat fire. It has a peat content of at least 50 parts per million.
The Warehouse
The warehouses of Edradour are just half a kilometre up the hill and have a whole lot of different casks in them. The Wine and Port, Sherry casks are at least double the amount of normal refill Bourbon casks.
History
Near the Edradour distillery lie the ruins of Lindores Abbey. This is the birthplace of Aquavite (water of life), which later became the Whisky we know. Unfortunately the monks of the Abbey were not English reformed Christians, so the Abbey was razed by an English king.
The earliest records of distilling at the Edradour distillery location date back to 1823. By this time the distilling was illegal. The Excise Act of 1823 was carried out but the distillery didn't register until 1825. By this time it was known as the Glenforres distillery and was a small farming distillery.
In 1837 James Scott and Duncan Stewart became the official tenants of the distillery. They named it Edradour 'between two rivers'.
In 1938 Irvin Haim becames legal owner of the distillery. He was a mafia gangster from New York.
During the early times the distillery mostly produced for the blend industry. The most famous brands were House of Lords and Kings Ransom. In 1986 the first 10-year-old Edradour was launched and the success story of the Edradour Single Malt Scotch Whisky began.
In the year 2002 Andrew Symington, owner of the independent bottler Signatory Vintage, bought Edradour for 3,5 million pounds.
In 2003 Edradour introduced the first heavily peated malt: the Ballechin heavily peated.
In the following years up until now Andrew Symington put a lot of effort into the refurbishing and renewing of the distillery. New dunnages were built, the old malt barn was refurbished and a larger hall was built to hold events. Finally in 2012 Andrew Symington was honoored by becoming one of the Masters of the Quaich.
The Visitor Centre
The visitor centre is open from mid-April until mid-October. The tour is very nice. You see all the production steps of the Edradour distillery. In all the old buildings you also learn a lot about the history of Whisky making and some important facts about Whisky.There is also a shop, a cafe, tasting bar and the New Caledonia Hall to hold events. The New Caledonia Hall is built into the dunnage so there are windows through which you can watch the Whisky mature.
Edradour Distillery
Pitlochry
Perthshire
PH16 5JP
Tel.: +44-(0)1796-472 095
tours@edradour.com
User Notes about the Distillery
Share your experience with other whisky lovers. Write a note about your trip to the Edradour distillery.
Lindores Abbey ruins are on the East edge of Newburgh, in Fife. Guessing maybe 20+ miles away. In case there was a ruin here with a coincidentally similar name, don’t think so, I checked. Found nothing. The Abbey was named from the Lindores area and Lindores Loch. All located near Newburgh. In Fife.
This distillery is a wee beauty, well worth a visit - although when I was there they still had that third man on the staff: it’s been a while!