I first tried Edradour’s ‘Caledonia’ back in 2013 as part of an evening that featured a Glenlivet quarter of 12, 15, 18 and 21 years. Personally I quite enjoyed the Edradour’s robust character however some in our group weren’t fans.

I then purchased an Edradour 10 year which fuelled two whisky tasting sessions featuring Signatory whiskies (original & Bombay Malt + Cigars) where I discovered how wonderfully its sherry berry warmth paired with cigars.

For me, the Edradour 10 was a rich desert whisky – not one for every day but when in the mood for its dark fruity flavours, was a darn good dram.

So when picking out minis in London a few months ago, naturally thought to revisit the Edradour Caledonia!

Here is what we found:

• Nose – Rich dried fruits, bursting with dates, nuts and generous dollop of rum, christmas cake literally soaked with dark rum, chocolate rum raisins, very sweet, then other elements emerges like the creamy frosting on a mince pie, a hint of salty brine, now cake with a rich fatty vanilla ice cream, almost like sweetened condensed milk, butter tart with pecans and raisins, sticky toffee pudding…
• Palate – Sweet spices of cloves, cinnamon, allspice and a little star anise, bread pudding, berries, very ‘full’ big and bold
• Finish – A proper finish! With sweet spices including a more pronounced star anise element, a bit bitter and deliciously long

What was most remarkable about this whisky was how the nose evolved. From the typical sherry notes to a slightly salty then creamy character, it then took on a very sweet coffee chocolatey malt like a rich dark stout, then after even more time elapsed had a vegetal quality like stumbling into a vegetable patch with cabbage and cucumbers… when we revisited after an hour, could not believe what happened! The vegetable patch had become a sour mash?!

While the end note wasn’t so appealing what was remarkable is the range of aromas…

Overall it was such a treat to revisit and we quite enjoyed this dram. We appreciated its desert-like quality however wouldn’t recommend leaving it for an hour or more… Best to just keep sipping and enjoying!

Good news for India – you can actually buy this whisky through the folks over at The Vault or even now in Delhi duty free! Here’s what they have to say:

This 12 Year Old has spent the last four years of its maturation in oloroso sherry casks. Caledonia is a toast to songwriter Dougie MacLean who had selected a single oloroso cask from 1997 as part of the homecoming celebrations and named it after his most famous song, ‘Caledonia’. Its enthusiastic reception led to the adoption of the whisky’s name on a permanent basis.

Tasting Notes: This full golden whisky starts off with a nose of peppermint, sugared almond, a hint of sherry, honey and spicy smoky notes. The palate is minty clean, malty and has a remarkable creamy texture for a relatively light malt. The finish is mellow and warming.

Related posts:

• Edradour 10 year (2 Nov 2004/26 Mar 2015) Cask No 406, Bottle 440 46%
• Earlier Everyday Asia post on our Glenlivet 12, 15, 18 + 21 year, Edradour ‘Caledonia’ 12 year and El Dorado rum evening

Other miniatures sampled:

• July minis – Tomintoul 10, 16, 27 year 40%
• August minis – Tomatin Legacy, MacPhail’s Orkney 8 year (Highland Park), TWE Speyside +Islay
• September minis – Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12 years 40%, Edradour Caledonia 12 year 43% + Glendronach 18 + 21 year 46%

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