Ballechin 2004 15 Year Old
70cl / 52%
£109.00
- Cask type: Bourbon
- Malt type: Single Malt
- Region: Scotland
- Chilfiltered: No
- Coloring: No
Tasting Notes
Seaweed, Tropical Fruit, and Peat
Rich, Fruit Candy, Salt, Lemon and Peat
Short Finish, Cinnamon, Tropical Fruit and Peat Smoke
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Heavily peated Edradour distillate from February 2004, 15 years in bourbon casks 74 and 76, bottled April 2019, 52% ABV, 462 bottles.
At-a-Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Distillery / Region | Edradour, Pitlochry, Highlands, Scotland (Ballechin is the peated line) |
| Category | Single malt Scotch whisky, limited bar collaboration |
| Distilled / Bottled | Distilled February 2004, bottled April 2019 |
| Age | 15 Years Old |
| ABV & Size(s) | 52% ABV, 70cl |
| Cask / Treatment | Matured in bourbon casks 74 and 76 |
| Natural Colour | Yes |
| Non-Chill-Filtered | Yes |
| Cask Strength | Effectively yes, bottled at 52% from the casks |
| Bottle count / Outturn | 462 bottles |
| Intended channel | Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland exclusive, later auctions |
| Packaging | Standard Edradour/Ballechin tall bottle and carton for specials |
| Notes on discrepancies | Not to be confused with later 2004 Ballechin 20 year olds or 15 year old 2022 small-batch cask strength; this is a 2019 bar exclusive with two bourbon casks. |
Historical Context
Ballechin, first produced in 2003 after Signatory bought Edradour, was created to give the tiny distillery a heavily peated counterpart. Early 2000s Ballechin vintages are therefore historically important: they show how the peat recipe settled and how the distillery used ex bourbon to keep the spirit clean and smoky. In 2019 Edradour bottled this 2004 15 year old from bourbon casks 74 and 76 for the Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland, a group release that tends to be robustly specified and bottled at good strength. It predates the distillery’s 2022 publicly sold 15 year old small batch and sits between the SFTC single casks and the wider Ballechin 10.
Technical Specification & Variant Map
Documented variants
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Ballechin 2004 15 Year Old, bourbon casks 74 and 76, 52%, 70cl, 462 bottles, bottled April 2019, Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland.
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Other 2004 Ballechin bottlings include SFTC port cask 2004, 13 years old, 51.2%; 2004 20 year old 2024 releases; and port pipe single cask 347 at 20 years. These are separate.
Variant Matrix
| ABV | Volume | Market | Era cues | Relative desirability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52% | 70cl | Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland, 2019 | Label states casks 74 and 76, Feb 2004-Apr 2019 | Highest (user’s bottle) |
| 58.9% | 70cl | 2022 15 yo small batch cask strength | Wider release, 3520 bottles | Parallel, lower rarity |
| 54-55% | 50cl | SFTC 2004 13 yo port/bourbon | Distinct small format | Niche collectors |
2.2 Packaging & authenticity checklist
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Label must name Ballechin, the 2004 distillation year, 15 years, the two bourbon casks 74 and 76, April 2019 bottling, 52%, 70cl, and the Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland.
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Bottle should be in Edradour’s current special-edition style, not the 50cl SFTC Ibisco.
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Check for carton; if absent, state that clearly.
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As always with Edradour small batches, confirm the stated outturn of 462 bottles.
Regulatory/terminology notes
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Single malt Scotch whisky, natural colour, non-chill-filtered.
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Do not call this a small-batch cask strength 2022 release; year and casks identify it.
Liquid Profile
Nose: Mature peat smoke that is now leathery rather than brutal, sweet vanilla from long bourbon ageing, grilled citrus, and a faint mineral edge.
Palate: Full-bodied at 52%; maritime-tinged smoke, tar, pepper, vanilla custard, toasted oak, and an undercurrent of sweet malt.
Finish: Long, ashy, with vanilla, charcoal and dry oak.
With water: A splash reveals more fudge and fruit and softens the ash.
Distillery/Bottler Snapshot
Edradour, under Signatory, has become one of Scotland’s most prolific small-batch, cask-driven distilleries. Ballechin, its 50ppm peated line, is fully in-house and often released in wine casks, so a straight 15 year old bourbon double-cask is actually quite classical and attractive.
Sourcing
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Target: bottles with clear 2004, 15 years, casks 74 and 76, 52%, 462 bottles, April 2019.
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Avoid: SFTC 2004 13yo or 2004 20yo mistaken for this.
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Buy £70-£85 and list around £120 if you want parity with other 15yo Ballechin cask-strength era bottlings.
