Edradour Sauternes Cask Matured 2003 Batch 4

Edradour Sauternes Cask Matured 2003 Batch 4 spends all of its aging days in Sauternes casks … all ten years of it …

Edradour Distillery calls themselves the “smallest distillery in Scotland” (some say the smallest is the nearby Strathearn Distillery). But to argue over “smallest” is to miss the point. They are, indeed, very small by modern standards. In fact, the entire production is run by two men who—if they crank up the stills and vats to capacity—can produce a maximum of only eighteen casks per week. Given that a traditional Whisky cask is about 200 liters, that production of 3600 liters sounds like a heck of a lot. But that is only 4800 standard-sized bottles per week … about 1/7 of what the larger producers crank out.

And they divide that golden spirit up into lots of Edradour branded products in addition to contributing to various blends. They produce no less than 30 different varieties across five categories: The Classic Range, Cask Strength, Wine Finished, Wine matured, and the peated Ballechin line. Basically, Edradour is a small-batch distiller where two Whisky-loving blokes spend their days tinkering and experimenting with their highland single-malt spirit to make a bunch of small-crafted wonderfulness.

Sauternes is a sweet Bordeaux wine that has a dense, sweet flavor because the grapes have been partially “raisined.” They are not the first Whisky producer to use Sauternes casks, but most others “finish” the Whisky in these premium casks for a year or less.

Edradour Sauternes Cask Matured 2003 Batch 4 comes from their “Wine Matured” line, meaning that it spends all of its aging days in Sauternes Casks… all ten years of it. This imparts a light, yet pleasantly sweet character to the Whisky with hints of apricot and honey. Very nice indeed. And if you like a dram with your food, it pairs especially nice with creamy cheeses, dried fruit, and pate’ … seriously, give that a shot.