Eden Mill 2020 Release

Following on from their St Andrews Day 2018 and 2019 limited edition releases, Eden Mill have today launched their 2020 release. And when I say limited, I’m quite surprised at just how limited it is. There were 3,200 bottles of the 2018 release and 3,000 bottles of the 2019 release, but this year sees only 800 bottles available. Very odd if you ask me.

Nevertheless, as with previous expressions, this whisky is matured in a combination of bourbon, oloroso, Pedro Ximénez casks, but the real difference this time around is the types of barley which have been used to create the spirit. Last year’s whisky was created using chocolate malt and crystal malt, and this year Eden Mill have also included spirit produced from pale malt and brown malt. With all those barley types and cask types in the mix, this could either be a smorgasbord of flavour and complexity, or it could be a confused little soul which lacks direction. Let’s hope it’s the former.

Eden Mill 2020 Release
Pale, chocolate, brown & crystal malt
Bourbon, PX & oloroso casks
800 bottles
46.5% ABV
£85 here

Nose: Erm, this is odd – juniper, dill seeds, and black peppercorns. There’s a distinct gin-type top note here, followed by a B&Q warehouse, and a carpenter’s workbench – warm glue, metal filings, rough sawn wood. Some gooseberry, cranberry and mulled wine spices on rye bread. Quite poor, in all honesty.

Palate: A bit better, with some butterscotch and cinder toffee initially. Then cherries and blackberries before the palate is swamped by wood – dry oak, pencil, and sherry soaked staves.

Finish: Some chocolate, tiramisu, clove and roasted nuts.

Overall: Sadly, it’s a mess rather than a layered, complex whisky. It seems to be a case of ‘too many cooks’ here, with the different barley types and cask types all fighting for attention rather than working together. The nose is, quite frankly, bizarre with this rather strange juniper/gin/spicy herbal thing competing with a smothering woodiness. The palate and finish are a bit better, but they’re not great. Perhaps just sticking to one solid barley strain and some good quality bourbon casks might be an idea?