Established in 1825, Edrador distillery is known for its methods, including the use of copper pot stills and smaller production batches. Its whisky is often matured in a mix of sherry and bourbon casks, giving it a rich depth of flavour.
Before whisky became synonymous with Scotland, respected and prized throughout the globe, it was produced on a small scale in pot stills and illegally, mostly in the Highlands.
Edradour was no different and distilled throughout the struggles between the illicit stills of the Highlanders, who simply wished to make whisky (seen as their right) and the officialdom of the Excise Officers, who were out to stop them avoiding duty, or tax.
With the Excise Act of 1823 encouraging licencing and reducing duty paid on spirit, it became more attractive to move away from the illicit stills to a legal entity. As a result Edradour was duly founded in 1825 as a cooperative of local farmers.
Edradour has always been a survivor through both lean and prosperous times and, perhaps by virtue of its small size, has been able to more easily adapt to changing circumstances from the original success story of blended whisky to ownership by the New York Mafia, from large corporate ownership to a welcome return to Scottish hands.
