Edradour Straight from the Cask 10y Chateauneuf du Pape Cask Finish with The Dan

So, back to scotch, at least for the moment. Picked up this mouthful, both in name and taste, while visiting family in British Columbia (got to try Glenlivet 18y as well). Good thing too, as the label states it was “casked exclusively bottled for British Columbia” so I assume that means it would be difficult to find out of province.

The name is a ridiculous.  I am assuming the “Straight from the Cask” appellation refers to it clocking in at 57.5% abv; this suggests it skipped the final metering by a cask master to the normal 40-46% abv you typically see with scotch. The Chateauneuf du Pape refers to the casks the spirits spent the last 14 months or so of maturation. Interesting to note the time in the second barrels doesn’t seem to count in the age expression. It was a 10y scotch that went into those fancy casks.

Edradour’s webpage soox, but I found some info online. They put out a number of these scotch-in-wine-cask editions, and even have an 11y, a 12y and a 13y edition of the Chateauneuf du Pape finish on Master of Malt but the exclusivity to BC seems to hold up. So mine is younger (10y) and stronger (57.5%) and from a smaller run (440) than the others in its stable – which is fine by me, I’ll take rare over old any day of the week.

That’s a lot of talk for a tiny bottle, here’s what we thought.

smell
simon – sweet & red winey
dan – dry wine, like church wine

neat
simon – overpowering
dan – warm, cherry

ice
simon – i actually don’t know what i’m tasting

splash
simon – more peat, still very winey – would be very good after a red wine + pasta/steak meal
dan – dryness, and mouth feel like wine.  vaguely anesthetized

Edradour Straight from the Cask 10y Chateauneuf du Pape Cask Finish – 57.5% 500ml – $115.00 – Highlands

Try? Sure! Buy? No.