Review # 195-196: Signatory Ballechin 10 year old Madeira Hogshead # 198 Binny's Handpicked 2007 59.3 & Signatory Edradour 11 year old Sauternes Barrel # 133 Binny's Handpicked 2006 54.9

These are two Edradour wine finishes that were at Binny's.  Ballenchin is peated Edradour.  Both of the wine finishes are sweet wines with Sauternes being a sweet Bordeaux and Madeira being a sweet cousin to Port. 

Signatory Edradour 11 year old Sauternes Barrel # 133 Binny's Handpicked 2006 54.9

Highland- 11- NCF- NCA - $90 - 54.9%

Color - Burnished

Nose - Candied white fruit, apples, white grapes, lemons, raisins, hints of toffee and spice

Palate - Toffee, raisins, - water brings out apples, lemons, toffee
Finish - Medium - A little hot, lemon, almond oil - water brings out Lemon cakes, ginger, Ricola, toffee 

Overall - 5 - This is a little brash and hot.  Lots of lemon, not overly sweet, actually I would have guess it was not aged in desert wine barrels.  Water does help a lot.  It makes it more enjoyable, tames the heat but still comes across as a bit one note.  I had a Edradour 10 "Straight from the cask" Sauternes that I loved, this does not live up that bottle at all.  

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Signatory Ballechin 10 year old Madeira Hogshead # 198 Binny's Handpicked 2007 59.3

Highland - 10 - NCF- NCA - $90- 59.3%


Color - Tawny 

Nose - Plastic bucket, cherry, moldy grapes, vanilla, malt, strawberry 

Palate - Cherry compote, chocolate, dark berries
Finish - Medium - Current, cherry pie filling, lemon zest, vanilla, chocolate

Overall - 7.5 - This is a really lovely dram.  The nose is funky, but not unappealing.  It kind of ebbs and flows with funk and red & black fruit.  The rest of the dram is just decedent red fruit and chocolate.  Really quite a treat.  The whole dram has great oily mouthfeel and really just does what it needs to do well.  

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Rating system is price influenced as it is based on my shopping decisions when buying a bottle.

10 Best in Show

9 Great Dram for Special Occasions

8 Worthy of consistent spot in my collection

7 Worth picking up a bottle if in the mood

6 I would buy a bottle if it went on sale
5.5 I enjoyed but it will never be priced at where I would buy a bottle

5 I would drink it happily if offered

4 I would drink it if offered on the rocks

3 Maybe some soda will make this potable

2 I'll Pass

1 Toilet cleaner

Inclusive Ratings

Overall 6.1

Standard Deviation 0.93

Skew 0.66

Kurtosis -0.16