Caledonia

I was given a bottle of Edradour's limited release, Caledonia as a gift last year and let me say first that it is one of the best whisky gifts I've ever gotten. A beautiful release in celebration of Scotland's rich heritage and endorsed by Dougie MacLean, the unofficial voice of Scotland. Named after his hit song, "Caledonia", this whisky is amazing.

Edradour is the smallest distillery in Scotland, but they have arguably one of the biggest tastes around. Full of life and flavour, their whisky embodies the Highland style. Caledonia is no exception, distilled in 1997 and stored in an Oloroso sherry cask for 12 years before being hand selected by Dougie MacLean for this release, it is a true treasure. 

The nose is very sweet, with lush cream and honey. The faint remnants of the sherry from the cask waft alongside gentle oak and fig, and really get you excited about this dram. The palate is equally inviting, blasting out with more fig, honey and oats, and lots of fruit. Roasted almonds and sherry pair alongside gentle caramel overtones to make it very full, round and memorable. The finish has a classic sherry dryness and is accented by gentle spices and dark chocolate. I can't say enough good things about this whisky, but to really appreciate it you simply must have a glass yourself. It is very hard to come by in the US, with only a handful of specialist retailers offering it...keep your eyes peeled and maybe you'll get lucky. Edradour's other offerings are equally wonderful, but none I think can outdo Caledonia.