Edradour 12 Year “Caledonia”
This is a release made by Edradour from a cask specifically chosen by Scottish composer Douglas Maclean in 2009 from a selection first distilled in 1997. There’s even a video. His music may sound familiar to some, for his piece “The Gael” was adapted by Trevor Jones for the movie The Last of the Mohicans in 1992. His other famous piece is “Caledonia,” after which this spirit is named. Three cheers to a small distillery like Edradour that can take a highly unique step like this. It may not be around forever, but a bottling like this deserves enough attention to fill your glass. Now, more importantly, what special qualities did Dougie Maclean taste in this whisky?
Edradour 10 Year
Edradour is from the Scots Gaelic Eadar Dhà Dhobhar, meaning “between two rivers.” This is an old distillery that makes the claim of being the smallest in Scotland, producing only eighteen casks per week (trust us – it sounds like a lot but isn’t, comparatively). They also claim to have the smallest stills and traditionally employ just three men. Somehow, they offer an extremely broad collection of drinks, likely meaning that the vast majority are of limited release and rarer than a hot day in the Orkneys. Fun fact: their current owner, Andrew Symington, is a Master of the Quaich.
Clynelish 14 Year
Located just north of Inverness, Clynelish has been operating at its current location for almost 50 years. Curiously, the distillery provides a great deal of the spirit that is used in Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve and only has two commercial products, a Distiller’s Edition and this 14 year offering (there is a “distillery only” bottle available on sight that is cask strength). With such a narrow single malt offering and so much of their output going to blended use, what sort of exploration will this highland malt offer?