Taking time to do things properly was just his way. And fortunately, his approach to making Scotch whisky was no different. Born and raised near Gleneagles, Scotland, he had brewing and distilling in his blood: it was the family business. So when the enterprising young James moved to Burton-on-Trent to set up his own brewery in 1854, he continued to blend Scotch in the same way that the Eadies had always done.
James Eadie Trade Mark X
45.6% abv
Vol- 70cl
James Eadie was born into a family of brewers and blenders. So when the famed whisky critic Alfred Barnard visited him in 1889, it was no surprise that they bonded over a dram. The whisky in question was James Eadie’s family blend. Passed down by his father, it was known as James Eadie’s Trade Mark X from 1877, when it was registered as one of the world’s first brands. For decades thereafter, James Eadie’s whisky captivated contemporaries. Barnard himself lavished praise on this “ancient Scotch mixture”, of which Mr. Eadie was declared the “fortunate possessor”. Yet like many great names of the Victorian era, it did not survive into the 21st Century. Last bottled in the 1940s, the components of the blend were unknown until Rupert Patrick, James Eadie’s great-great-grandson, made the chance discovery of his 19th-century ledgers. These records laid bare the spirits that were used to make his family’s celebrated Scotch. Pieced together, they revealed a forgotten blend from a distant era, in which the diverse flavours of every whisky-producing region of Scotland were expertly
combined. Two centuries on, using only whiskies from distilleries which James Eadie himself had purchased from, Norman Mathison, one of Scotland’s finest Master Blenders, was entrusted to revive this ancient Scotch. And so, after a lengthy slumber, James Eadie’s whisky was brought back to life. Bottled at 45.6% (80° Imperial Proof) without chill-filtration, just as James Eadie would have, the result is an elegant, peaty dram reborn from the first Golden Age of Scotch whisky.
Nose – At first, sweet notes of icing sugar and raisins are present, before oily, lightly peated qualities emerge; soot, soft earth and freshly cut hay. Over time, a combination of dark chocolate, sultanas, prunes, marzipan and subtle hints of chili and salt come to the fore.
Palate – Spicy flavours of mint chocolate blend in with syrup, plums, prunes and roasted coffee beans. Gentle peat and soft smoke linger in the background, which introduce a delicious juicy quality. Water brings out thick, rich cream and ripe dark cherries.
Finish – The finish is long, syrupy and gently spicy, gradually softening to leave subtle, distinctive stone fruit flavours.
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Blended | Duty Paid | James Eadie | Scotch Whisky | Whisky- Reference #:
- 22305
- Strength
- 45.6 ABV
- Bottles per Case
- 6 bottles
- Organic
- No
- Biodynamic
- No
- Vegan
- No
- Vegetarian
- No
- Sparkling
- No