For Christmas Mom bought me a small bottle of Edradour 10 year. Whereas I could guess what all the other gifts were, this one was a surprise. It came in a small box with two glencairn glasses. This distillery in the highlands near Perth was the smallest distillery until 2005, but the company still advertises itself on its labels as the smallest. Many consider these facilities to be the prettiest distillery in Scotland, and over 100,000 visitors come here each year, making it one of the most popular distilleries. Instead of several industrial buildings that look like a chemical plant, this distillery's buildings are small with white stone walls. They are nestled and hidden in the hills beside a small stream. The facility dates back to 1837 when a group of farmers leased a small strip of land beside the Edradour Burn.
During Prohibition in the United States, the owner of Edradour hired Frank Costello as his 'US Sales Consultant' and paid him $5,000 a year. Thus, the illegal export to America became the distillery's primary market. The scotch would make its way into New York's speakeasies as Costello would bootleg it into his establishments. Later, Costello would become one of the most famous and powerful gangsters in New York with a gambling empire across the country.
According to my scotch book, Edradour is fruity, pear-like with a good body and a bit of peat. After I poured myself a glass, I noticed an explosion of fruitiness in the nose. There was also a smell of acidity. Overall, it reminded me of Glenfiddich 12 year. The smell also seemed light like cotton with flavors of apple and pear. However, once I tasted it I noticed a huge hit of smoke. This flavor surprised me, but I figured I had been smelling it too much before actually tasting it. As I drank more, I could taste the fruit a good bit more, and eventually I couldn't taste any smoke at all. I suppose it was all in my head.
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