Enjoy life’s small victories, says Edradour

Scotland’s smallest distillery:

Edradour Distillery, Southern Highlands

No visit to Scotland is complete without a visit to a whisky distillery and this morning we visit Edradour, Scotland’s smallest distillery.  At Edradour, the local water, the finest malt and age-old skills combine to produce a ‘wee dram’.

Edradour is nestled in a pocket glen in the hills above Pitlochry in the Southern Highlands.  When we say that it’s the smallest distillery in Scotland, it’s no exaggeration as only three men are responsible for the whisky production and  Erdradour produces just twelve casks of whisky a week during production times.  Edradour is possibly the smallest legal distillery of any kind in the world and also the last original ‘farm’ distillery in Perthshire.

Whisky Tasting

Before taking a tour of the Distillery, we are herded into a room to learn a little about the history of Edradour, as well as to sample the various grades of their unique Highland single malt whiskey.  The history of Edradour and whisky-making is interesting enough but unfortunately for whisky producers, I’ve never cultivated a liking for this spirit and I unfortunately can’t tell you how Edradour compares to Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich, Macallan and other Scottish whisky.  I think even the whisky lovers amongst us feel that it’s a bit early in the morning for whisky tasting.

The Edradour Tradition

Edradour Distillery was built in 1825 and still uses the same wooden equipment which is used to mash and ferment the whisky in the same time-honoured ways.  John Reid and his two assistants hand-craft Edradour without automation, using skills handed down through the generations.  The three men still apply the same standards and skills handed down over generations.

Highland malts enjoy a unique depth of flavour and quality that’s the result of a fine blend of altitude and mountain water.  These are laid down to mature for 10 years until the whisky reaches the peak quality.  With such limited production, Edradour can be quite hard to find outside of Scotland.  If you are in the region it’s worthwhile stopping at the Distillery to sample Edradour’s best whisky.  It’s Tony’s mum lucky day as she loves her whisky and we’re buying her some from the very place where it’s hand-produced.

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