Edradour 11 Year (2009) Bordeaux Cask Matured “Edradourian Knights” pick

Review by: The Muskox

This casketh of whisky fæire hath been throwneth forth by the noble lords and ladies of the round table of the Edradourian Knights, for what maketh the benefit of us to merrily quaff, henceforth, unto.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that out my system, I can get on with the notes.

Distillery: Edradour.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Highlands.

ABV: 58.1%. Cask strength.

Age: 11 years. Distilled June 12th 2009. Bottled September 18th 2020.

Cask type: Cask #149, a second-fill Bordeaux red wine hogshead.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: Medium gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Juicy and strong. Summerier fruits at first – blood orange, apricot jam, peach pie, and sliced melon. Rich sweet malt, a little yeasty even – rising bread dough. Wildflower honey, and the field of wildflowers that the honey came from. A little star anise and clove. Tiramisu. The wine starts to come in a little later, bringing darker fruit notes of blackberries, cherries, and pomegranate.

Palate: Thick texture. Arrives sweet with mixed fruit – red apples, orange, plums, and apricots, as well as toffee, jam sandwich shortbreads, and fragrant flowers. Huge honey and rich malt on the development, along with strong oak and cream. Chocolate covered strawberries and peach brandy.

Finish: Medium-long. Honey-soaked oak, beeswax, and willow branches. Strawberries, cherries, and blackberries. Crème anglaise, éclairs, melted milk chocolate, and more tiramisu. Finishes with lots of red wine.

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Afternoon pastry picnic in a wildflower field”

Conclusion: Wow, this blew my striped tights off. Easily the best Edradour I’ve ever had. Great mix of sunny fruit and creamy malt with the deeper notes from the wine cask. The finish is perfectly controlled and extremely wine-like.

Final Score: 90.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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