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James Eadie’s Speyside Single Malt 10 Year Old Review

James Eadie Speyside 10 Year Old is a small batch single malt whisky, matured in Oloroso sherry hogsheads. It offers a harmonious blend of rich sherried fruits, chocolate, and spices, making it a standout in the core range series.

OVERALL RATING

8
$60
  • Mark Bostock, a whisky enthusiast specializing in independent bottlings.
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Tasting Notes

About:

One of the first releases in a core range series of small batch single malt whiskies from independent bottler James Eadie. Inspired by the discovery of Mr James Eadie’s Victorian-era whisky ledgers in 2016, which revealed his fondness and experimentation for maturing and finishing whisky in ex-fortified wine casks.

Celebrating the balance between cask wood and spirit, following six years of trialling different combinations of single malts and cask types, James Eadie launched a core range series beginning with Speyside and Highland whisky style releases. James Eadie’s Speyside 10 Year Old is sourced from the Dailuaine Distillery, and finished in European oak Oloroso sherry hogsheads for 11 months. Bottled at 48.3% ABV.
Appearance:
Dark Amber
Nose:
On the nose, rich sherry and stewed fruits including plums and raisins, followed by a little dark chocolate and marzipan. Balanced by some cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon spice. There’s a touch of heather and furniture polish.
Palate:
Quite a soft mouthfeel. Initial notes of stewed orchard fruits and a touch of citrus, before descending into buttery notes and dark chocolate. Followed by spicy notes of cinnamon, clove, and all spice.
Finish:
Medium length, with dark chocolate and toffee before final notes of chili, clove, and toasted oak.
Comments:
A smooth drinking core range release from independent bottler James Eadie, representing the Speyside style and sherry cask maturation. Only the reverse label reveals Dailuaine as the distillery of origin, suggesting this could possibly be changed for future batches due to cask stocks. As James Eadie’s Speyside 10-Year-Old is a small batch release, the expression can regularly sell out, but as a core range bottling is regularly restocked. The second James Eadie core range expression is a Highland 11-Year-Old single malt sourced from the Teaninich, and finished in European oak Malaga hogsheads.

With James Eadie’s Dailuaine Speyside expression, the mix of sherried fruits, sweetness, and spices is well-balanced, although it’s the chocolate and spicy notes that seem most pronounced. From the nose, I was expecting a slightly thicker and richer mouthfeel – it’s quite soft and velvety, which arguably makes the whisky more accessibl,e but I find it a little overly sweet at times. At the price point, this is an easy drinking single malt, with well-chosen sherry cask influence which easily competes with the core range whisky expressions from many brands.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Mark Bostock

Mark Bostock, an integral part of the Mark Littler LTD UK content writing team since 2019, brings a genuine passion for whisky, especially independent bottlings, to his work. His commitment to expanding his knowledge through attending tasting events and building his own collection enriches his contributions, blending expertise with enthusiasm.

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