Review #: 232
Description: Ballechin S.F.T.C. Port Cask #205 2004 13 Year
Spirit: Scotch
Background: Here we have a bottle from Edradour’s peated line and their Straight From The Cask line. This one was distilled on April 20th, 2004 and aged in a Port Cask until bottling on January 15th, 2018 without chillfiltration nor coloring.
Distillery – Edradour
Bottler – Edradour
Brand – Ballechin
Selection – N/A
ABV – 54.3%
Age – 13 Years
Nose – Ashy and jammy. Like someone opened a jar of jam while camping next to a smoldering fire. Raspberry jam, fresh strawberries, smoked apple pie, shortbread cookie. Like if a pastry bakery only used a wood burning stove.
Taste – More of the nose: sweet fruit jelly, ashy peat, floral honey, vanilla, strawberry juice
Finish – Octomore levels of peat come in, pretty dry ash, smoked plums, a bit of sulfur and brine come in. Almost unbalanced with the peat
Score: 7
Would I buy a bottle? Yes
Thoughts: These ballechin SFTC are pretty awesome. They are basically like Octomore Lite but nearly on the same level for about half the price. Super fruity but at the same time super peaty yet the overall impression is balanced. I need to get a bottle of one of the offerings (this one is sold out on FineDrams). I maintain the biggest drawback is they are 500ml when I would want a full bottle to myself.