Review 264. Edradour 10 year old 2025 release.

Seeing how last week I reviewed the Symington 10 yo blend, I figured it would make sense to linger about Pitlochry for another week and move straight on to what’s arguably its most iconic single malt: Edradour 10 year old. Last week, I already hinted that this recently got a significant upgrade, as the 40 % ABV bottling we’ve seen for years got bumped up and is now (insert the word ‘finally’ here if you will) available in a 46% ABV version as well. Rejoice, adepts of all good things in a glass!

‘Scotland’s little gem’ as Edradour endearingly was called (not in the least by itself) used to indeed be one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries, but with the opening of a second distillery on site (an exact copy - paste in terms of all the distilling equipment) around 2018-2019 now produces somewhere around 300,000-350,000 LPA. That’s still pretty moderate compared to some of the massive boozeplants like Glenfiddich or Glenlivet, but at least it should allow us – technically/hopefully – to get some easier access to their whisky.

It really seems pretty ‘weird’ that we had to wait until now to get Edradour’s flagship release in a 46% ABV version. Particularly if you consider that it’s always been a bit of an enthusiast’s brand, you might assume a 46% ABV, natural colour, non-chill filtered version would be a no-brainer. To be clear, I’m not passing judgement here, merely stating I find it a bit odd to see that what seems like ‘textbook material’ isn’t in fact how the scenario panned out. I’m sure Andrew Symington would have had his reasons and who am I to question his insights and knowledge?

Edradour 10 yo. 2025 release. The distillery edition. Oloroso sherry casks matured. 46% ABV, NC, UCF, €50-€60

The expansion of the distillery is indeed something to be grateful for, although I know from quite a few people that they think it’s a pity that since the COVID pandemic the distillery has shut its doors to the public. My trustworthy guidebook of the Malt Whisky Yearbook tells me that Edraodur has had a visitor center as early as 1982 when it was purchased by Campbell Distilleries (a Pernod Ricard subsidiary/predecessor) so in a way they have a long lasting tradition of welcoming in visitors and were probably among the first to see the potential of opening their doors to the public.  But seeing how it’s also, very much so, a fairly small operation I think it’s understandable how they would want to focus on getting both of the distilleries running as smoothly and effectively as possible, and with everything that’s been going on in whisky in recent times, you could argue that Andrew read the room quite well when making that decision.

In any case, like last week’s Symington 10 yo blend, this sample too is a curtesy of the fine gentleman that is Nic Stilton-Massey.

Nose

A lovely nutty sensation is the first aroma I pick up – oloroso casks at their best, what? There’s mild spices, stewed fruit, some honey and chocolate and caramel.  A whiff of parsley and a note of salinity  bring a pleasant counterweight and ‘lightness’ (freshness) to it all.

Palate

Spices, red fruit, wood, bitter chocolate and fudge rather than caramel. Where the nose is balanced and nuanced, this is more bold and outspoken. Not saying one is better than the other, merely pointing out where the differences lie. A few drops of water does tone it down a bit, allowing some of the more mellow elements from the nose to pop up, but it does also slightly water down the otherwise pleasantly dense and full mouthfeel a bit.

Finish

Long, dry, nutty and gentle spice notes.

Final thoughts

The nose brings exactly what I would hope to find from a spot on sherry cask matured whisky! Great balance, with just enough richness yet without things turning overly active or aggressive, allowing a bit of everything to shine through. Just like the blended 10 year old from last week, it’s the utterly seductive nose that appeals to me the most.  And while it is bolder on the palate, I have to say this is very, very good indeed. I love the palate, I adore the nose. That sums it up perfectly I think. This easily outclasses a lot of other 10 year old (and older!) single malt whiskies out there. More than that, it does so without breaking the bank.

That’s two for two, mr. Symington. Fantastic job!