2018 Signatory Vintage Edradour No.2 Inaugural Release 200th Anniversary 7 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

"A laudable “inaugural”. Unique and lovely. Well worth the price paid" - dramface.com

This is a bit of a double celebration for Edradour fans and collectors. As the label notes, it's commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the distillery (1825-2025). There are going to be a number of limited editions coming through marking the date, so keep posted. More significantly for collectors, Andrew Symington, the man behind Signatory Vintage and Edradour, has built a second distillery on the Edradour site in order to expand capacity alongside the original "little gem" - hence the name "Edradour #2" for this inaugural release. Distilled in 2018 in new, traditional-style stills and aged in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts, there's been a range of responses online towards the release, however most are positive, deeming it a confident young 'Christmasy' whisky that isn't too dominated by sherry while delivering the "old school" weight and oily texture that Edradour is famous for. Think red fruits, almonds, fruit cake, cinnamon and a light hint of sulphur that needs time to blow off. Many find it significantly benefits from a drop or two of water. At 57.1% Alc./Vol. that's no surprise. The total outturn is unknown. We'd expect it to be aligned with the distillery's other limited editions (usually around 6000 bottles). As a collectable, the direct-import price means just about anyone can take advantage of this opening offer. Non chill filtered.

Other reviews.... Shout it from the rafters: “Young. Age. Statements. Don’t. Matter!” ...It’s a polarizing dram within the [whisky] community. Complaints about astringency and sulfur and plenty of discussion over the heat, sharpness, and youth of this bottle. Personally, I didn’t find any off-notes or sulfur, even off the neck pour. To me it retained the best of Edradour’s uniqueness, and this batch was well-suited to the first-fill sherry butts used for maturation. Especially with water. I’m a firm believer in adding tiny amounts of water, even for lower ABV whiskies. With time and a few drops I believe not only does this dram open up, it sings wonderfully. I’ll stand by my high score. Perhaps other Dramface writers or those in the Whiskyverse will have differing assessments to share in the comments. There may be a “young whisky” bias going on with others, but I’ll never tell anyone else they’re incorrect. This is a realm of opinions and senses. There’s not a wrong one to be found. I trust my own here and I find this to be a cracking young Edradour. There’s also a spicy uniqueness here that keeps it from becoming too much of a “sherry bomb." And for [the price], Signatory Vintage continues to show its deftness on price and appreciation for the wallets of the punting masses. - dramface.com

"A really nice Highland whisky, rich and full of character." - whiskybase.com

"Surprisingly spicy—absolute spiced gingerbread; I love it! Cinnamon (spekulatis) bomb. Don't lick your lips. You will pour more." - whiskybase.com