Edradour, sitting in a fold of hillside above Pitlochry, has long advertised itself as one of Scotland's smallest traditional distilleries. Under the ownership of Signatory Vintage it has leaned hard into sherry cask maturation, and the 12 Year Old Sherry Cask is a straightforward expression of that house philosophy.
Bottled at 46%, the whisky is unapologetically dense. The nose is full of raisin, fig and dark chocolate, with the walnut-skin bitterness that properly seasoned sherry butts tend to impart. There is a hint of the sulphurous note that recurs in Edradour's sherry releases: some drinkers love it, others do not, but it is part of the distillery's identity rather than an accident.
On the palate the whisky is stewed-fruit sweet, layered with treacle, cocoa and toasted almond. The small stills and worm tub condensers give the spirit a meaty backbone that stands up to the cask. The finish is long and drying, with coffee, leather and bitter orange bringing things to a close.
For admirers of old-fashioned, sherry-soaked Highland malt, this is reliable territory. It is a whisky from a distillery unembarrassed by its traditions.
