Edradour 2004 Single Cask Strength

Perfection. That is the word to describe this whisky. Starting for its natural color, which is almost mahogany; with a decanter that is absolutely lovely; and of course, a superb single cask strength single malt matured in oloroso sherry casks. Edradour is the smallest distillery in Scotland, and they made only 600 gallons of single malt whisky a year, and 2/3 of that whisky goes to blends. So, about 200 gallons are bottled as Edradour single malt, and if you have tried any of it, you know it is good. This one is a expression, distilled in 2004 and bottled in early 2018, at 57.2%abv. Lets talk about the whisky: On the nose, it is overwhelming. Starts with an aroma of Welsh grape juice; cognac, dark chocolate and hazelnut. Toblerone chocolate, cherries, christmas cake, molasses and a fancy aged rum. There are also notes of dark fruits, blackberries, figs, sherry and red wine. Just amazing. After a first sip, it revealed ritter chocolate with raisins; coffee and a more chocolate. Toffee and quince dessert. Incredible. On the palate, it is also a work of art. Cherries, red fruits, pepper spice. Chilli, dehydrated fruits, pecans. It is powerful and mouth numbing. A second sip is amazing, with cherry syrup, pepper, tobacco, coffee and hazelnut. Aftertaste is the perfect ending for a great whisky. Tobacco, oloroso sherry, clove, ginger, very dry. A little sulphur and dark chocolate, with coffee hints everywhere. Overall, this is one of the greatest whiskies i have had. I was actually going to score it 99 over 100, but one of my whisky pals said this phrase: "i just can't believe this is malted barley". And that made me think he was absolutely on the spot with that analysis. This whisky is the perfect example of what a single malt can become with perfect craftmanship. So, my final score is 100 over 100, outstanding dram, there are only 699 bottles of this 2004 edition, and if you happen to find one, buy it. Slàinte Mhath!