Edradour is still one of those distilleries that I can’t really put my finger on. Sometimes excellent, sometimes just a little too weird. Today we’re opening the first release of their 12 Years Oloroso Sherry Butts series, a 2011 vintage. In early 2026 they released Batch #8.
Edradour 12 yo 2011 – Oloroso Sherry Butts (57,8%, OB 2023, Batch #1, casks #144, 168, 169, 173-176, 4663 btl.)
Nose: brighter than I expected. Raisins, prunes and dates, as well as dried cranberries, cinnamon buns and caramelized nuts. Classic sherry scents, with brown sugar, a drop of coffee and a little leather. It’s not as musty as other Edradours, with just a light earthiness that works well. Then subtle hints of graphite and milk chocolate in the background.
Mouth: thick and oily, with more chocolate, dark berries, prunes, a little espresso and leather. Later also a good dose of oak spice, with cinnamon and clove, as well as some black pepper. Assertive and quite thick – old-style Glendronach comes to mind. Gets a little more leafy after a while, with hints of toast, some tannins and a slightly fleshy / mushroomy side which takes down the overall appeal.
Finish: long, much more woody now, with pencil shavings, black peppercorns, intense herbs and mossy notes.
We’ve had some very good Edradour from Oloroso butts, and this also leaves a good impression. We think its funky character is a nice asset, but the vegetal and mushroomy notes are less to our liking. End result: pretty good. The latest batch is sold by The Whisky Exchange for instance.