As soon as I’d heard r/Scotch had chosen a heavily peated cask to bottled, I was interested. When I’d read it was a brand/distillery I’d barely heard of (at best), I was invested. I grabbed a bottle when it released, and about a year later I’ve finally gotten the chance to give it a review. The Wardhead was alright even though peat is my preferred profile, and the Ardmore was pretty good, too. Let’s see if this selection tickled me, too.
Ballechin 11, 2009 Vintage, The Ultimate, Highland Single Malt, 58.3% ABV
Minutia: Distilled on August 7, 2009 and matured in cask number 180, a fist-fill Sherry butt, for 11 years and bottled on September 30, 2020 yielding 615 bottles. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.
Color: Auburn, polished mahogany; 1.5.
Nose: Smoky red fruit, nutty. Slightly medicinal.
Taste: Spice and fruit, oak, smoke.
Finish: Hot, spice, musty, nuts, ash. Long.
I quite like it. It’s always nice to try a spin on peat different than your standard Islays. I’m glad it put Ballechin on my radar, and I definitely think it’s worth exploring more. I’m also interested in getting to know unpeated Edradour, as well.
Score: 86
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