Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks ‘Ballechin #7 Bordeaux Casks’

Ballechin #7 (peated Edradour) OB 46%alc…(Notes below from the Joynson)…

A fascinating interplay between sweet red wine and low-down dirty peat.

Presented in oh-my-goodness pink, which has plenty of shelf stand-out (or just try-and-avoid yuk). This is the seventh variant of Edradour’s very peaty distillation matured, this time, in Bordeaux casks, entirely matured that is not a finish.

Pale gold in colour with a touch of strawberry sauce (that’s appearance not taste).

The opening aroma is of hot, sweet engine oil. Then peaches and pears – with the anticipation of a peaty threat, as if someone’s started playing a growly cello. The peat rises as exhaust, vegetative and herby. Tasted (still neat) there is honey, sweetness and a thick berry sauce (maybe it’s the strawberry sauce after all). Shuggling air over the soaked tongue ignites the peat magnificently and the swallow is all Bordeaux before a sweet wine-and-peat ping-pong.

The addition of water raises the peat-exhaust whiff and reverses the neat tasting event to peat then wine, which is neat, so-to-speak.

Some of the Ballechin’s work very well, others less so; this one works well but is risky, and exciting because of this knife edge flavour experience. Now, would someone stop the cello player please?

On the Flavour map square G9 on the Smoky side of Rich and Smoky.

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk