This Ballechin 2010 (heavily peated Edradour) was selected by whisky club Mc Shelfie in Belgium, together with four shops around here. Actually this was only half the cask, the other half was released with the same label, at the same time, for three other shops. The governmental structure of our country translated to a whisky bottling, so to speak.
All joking aside, it is a first-fill sherry butt selected from the Signatory Vintage stocks.
Ballechin 10 yo 2010 (58,9%, Signatory Vintage for Crombé, Billy’s Whisky Barrel, Malt Whisky Corner, The Bonding Dram & McShelfie 2020, first-fill sherry butt #195, 339 btl.)
Nose: a dark, sooty profile with smoked cecina (Spanish smoked and dried beef), charcoal and coffee. Some blackberries and plums. Earthy peat. Some eucalyptus and Cuban cigars in the background, as well as some old leather. Savoury, sooty peat with a healthy dose of sherry, really good.
Mouth: a powerful attack, full of pipe juice, crushed peppercorns, cloves and blackberries. Dried plum jam, raisins and a light medicinal touch (cough syrup). Dark roast coffee and some tarry notes. Black Forest gateau. Hints of teriyaki and autumn leaves. A herbal, slightly tannic bitterness towards the end.
Finish: long, earthy, with a hint of charred wood, herbal tea and some salted liquorice.
This Ballechin finds a nice balance of intense, savoury power and drinkability. A seriously tasty selection, still available from TBD, Billy or the other stores mentioned, for around € 95.