The Caledonia bottling takes its name from Dougie MacLean's well-known song and was launched in tribute by Andrew Symington, who is a friend of the musician. Beyond the sentimental flourish, it is a serious expression of Edradour's house style raised a pitch or two by full maturation in Oloroso sherry casks.
Bottled at 46 per cent and non-chill-filtered, it presents the oily, slightly rustic Perthshire spirit dressed in the full regalia of Spanish oak. The sherry does not smother: the waxy, nutty core that Edradour's old-fashioned kit produces is still clearly present, supporting the raisined sweetness rather than being overwhelmed by it.
It is worth remembering that Edradour's tiny production, roughly a fraction of what a mid-sized Speyside distillery turns out in a week, makes any age-stated release something of a small event. Signatory's custodianship since 2002 has allowed for patient cask selection of a kind the previous corporate owners rarely bothered with, and the 12 Caledonia is a fair advertisement for that patience.
A Highland sherry bomb with actual Highland bones underneath it, which is rarer than it ought to be.
