Edradour Caledonia 12 Year

Edradour Caledonia 12-year-old is bottled at 46% ABV. It is a single malt that spends around 8 years in ex-bourbon casks before spending its remaining time maturing in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. This sells for around $75-100. I am reviewing the 2020 bottling. I rarely mention the color of a whisky, because I usually don’t care, but this bottle has the words “natural colour” on it, and it is the color of an old Macallan 18. It even has some of that legendary aroma: figs, sultanas, and coffee - quintessential old school sherry up the wazoo. And then there’s some malt, oak, and alcohol nip, reminding you that there’s some whisky in this sherry. The amount of sherry influence on the nose and opening of this whisky is stupid. Stupid in its sheer amplitude, and stupidly enjoyable. Bravo, for making me feel like a desperately single 45-year-old British woman haunting the classier university pubs. But, it’s not quite Macallan 18. The sweet dark fruits dissipate, and the ending has harshness and bitterness; salty dark chocolate, if I’m being optimistic, but an alcohol-soaked burnt sugar bit of flotsam, if I’m being real. Boo, for making me feel like a desperately single 45-year-old pirate with scurvy and a wooden leg. Overall, this is not bad, and Edradour deserves to be able to charge a few more dollars above the typical 12-year-old single malt price curve because this is a fairly memorable experience. It’s like they poured a nice sherry into a whisky. This is a mixed drink. The sherry obliterates any notion of an ex-bourbon matured whisky at the beginning, and then a rather average and young tasting whisky emerges to reclaim this mix in the end.

Edradour has blown my mind in the past months, and i am starting to develop fond feelings for this "scottish little gem". Caledonia 12yo is one of their expressions, a heavily sherried one (as all the others) but this can prove to be a challenge to some beginners. Bottled at 46.5%abv, super reddish deep copper color. On the nose: Orange caramel, maraschino cherry syrup; Red fruits, strawberry syrup . Super sweet but a little dim. Alcohol note is powerful. Glazed pork notes also appear. Actually the nose was not that great. On the palate it was delicious. Coffee, Sweet syrup, Sherried. This is a nice Spicy little fellow. Aftertaste is an atomic spice bomb. The most absolute spiciness there is. Ashes, clove, pepper and cinnamon. Overall i really enjoyed this and the score might not reflect what it really is. 86/100. Sláinte!

I love this whiskey. Edradour is one of my favorite distilleries, and this this malt doesn't let me down. The nose is thick with dried fruits. Plum, apricot, raisin. A sweet nuttiness, like pecan praline. Oranges, and caramel. I also get hints of a spicy tobacco in the background. Light earthy peat rounds the nose out nicely. The palate follows the nose, but heavier on the spices. Cinnamon, clove, and licorice. The peat presents as a light leathery note, followed by earthiness. This is a dense malt, and there is much to explore. It's extraordinarily tasty, so I don't mind taking the time to do so.

My first edradour. Not a beginners dram. Very rich in flavors. A lot of uncommon to the more popular whisky which may turn the average person away. But take your time with this and appreciate the range of flavors. Its an after dinner drink. To be enjoyed and savored. Rich and thick on the plate almost concentrated. Deep sherry notes, not sharp. There is a complexity to this that keeps me going back but. It is a hard one to find so I am stuck going back occasionally. Excellent

Probably my favorite whisky to date. And that’s saying a lot considering I’ve had many well over $1000. This is like the 10 year but a GIANT step up. It’s finish is all sherry without any distant bitterness from the oak like the 10. The nose is literally a chocolate brownie with fudge and sherry poured on top. Im not kidding. A legit masterpiece. Quite hefty on the palate as well. The best distillery in my opinion. They operate so small which is why they care so much 100/100

This is the sherried scotch of choice. If you are looking for that old style deep rich dark fruit sherry character with some basement funk in the background, this is it. Nose and palate are consistent and full of dates, figs, raisens, plums, prunes, tabacco and an almost indescribable backbone of warehouse/basement funk that gives it much more depth than a current Glendronach 15 or Arran Sherry that come off much more bright.