Tastes

N: Berries abound with a jammy juiciness. Creme brûlée and dark fruits, pepper and cocoa all layer on top of that fantastic Arran malt staple. P: Creamy, ginger, pepper, bitter cocoa, hazelnut and cherries. A single drop of water reveals a light orange and some of the honey tones found in other Arran expressions. F: Medium-short. Drying with buttery toasted pastry, jams and bitter dark chocolate. This is the last of the cask tastings in my flight tonight. All of them fantastic. And, unsurprisingly, all different. Yet, the core Arran spirit profile can be found unifying all three cask finishes. Where the Sauternes is spring time, bright and delicately refined; the Amarone is autumn with flavours that go from deep to fleeting with a full and exciting profile. The Port cask though. is winter. Richer, darker and more powerful than its brethren. The port cask reminds me of Ron Burgundy: “I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany”, thats where this port cask finish will be at home, in a deep Chesterfield armchair surrounded by musty books and decadence. For anyone who wants to make whisky and do no wrong, Arran is not a bad place to copy. Distiller whisky taste #49

This is the second of three cask finishes for the evening. I have added a new entry on Distiller as the new branding and introduction to core offerings probably deserves representation over the old bottling. N: Apple and pear are frontrunners backed by darker red fruit and chocolate. Dig a little deeper and the malt is there. P: Chocolate, malt, dark fruits and cranberry, a little cinnamon and possibly a touch of coffee. A woody note is to be found amongst the richness that softens and deepens things. A single drop of water lets something slightly bitter like a black tea add some more interest. F: Medium. Creamy texture with bright juicy fruits like stewed pears and apple, with no surprise, a lovely Arran ginger note. Quite delicious. This may as well be Arrans autumn whisky to the spring time Sauternes. This Amarone cask has a saltiness that is there sometimes and sometimes not. The mouthfeel is exciting. Somehow plump and juicy yet drying at the same time. It keeps me going back for more, and surely that is a sign of brilliance? I don’t feel its as nuanced or refined as the Sauternes, but I wonder if I really care? Another Arran, another testament to how hard they rock. Distiller whisky taste #48

I've cracked open all three NAS cask finishes tonight: Sauternes, Amarone, and Port... N: malty, fruity sweetness, slight honey, pear, egg custard tart perhaps (nutmeg, pastry, sweetness), and some delicate citrus. P: Soft and silky honey, mineral salts, a light vanilla maltiness, toasted oak presence. Gentle citrus and Arran ginger. A (literal) drop of water does bring the citrus and salt forward nicely. F: Medium short. Orange oils, honey, ginger and a pleasant warmth. The nose here is light, bright and delicate and leads into an interesting palate with a rich flavour profile that gives way to a soft clean finish. Overall the profile is sweet but it remains away from sickly or sticky, the saltiness is fantastic without being briny and the staple Arran spirit flavours are not diminished. Instead, the spirit is well complimented by this quality casking. In a nutshell, Arran have bottled spring time here. Distiller whisky taste #47

N: Toasty oak, dried dark fruits, rich orange, dark chocolate. Slight coffee. A beautifully soft nose that without being warming in itself makes me feel warm inside. Like stepping into a fire warmed home from the winter cold, this is a rich and fulfilling nose. P: plenty of sherry influence as thick christmas spices and dark fruit rush forward on a silky caramel. The Arran ginger prickle pokes about and figgy, dates fill the mouth with creamy vanillin and chocolate. Bold, rich and surprisingly dry. F: Medium. Juicy warmth stays at the back of the throat, an almost strawberry jam lingers as a cooling reminder of the full rich palate. Praline and chocolate are short lived and warmth remains. I recently finished off an Abelour A’bunadh. As cask strength sherry casks go, this is more enjoyable and with more refreshing flavours to find. The core Arran spirit is well respected here and the finish and craftsmanship that went into this NAS release is testament to the serious quality and refinement that Arran appear to bestow upon all their beautiful nectars. The more I think about it the more the Bodgea reminds me of the Arran 18 release. The 18 is rich and deep whereas the Bodega is brighter and punchier. Both though… equally delectable. Arran freaking rocks. Freaking. Rocks. Distiller whisky taste #46

N: malt and butteriness but turned down a little compared to the 10. The cask strength is apparent, but not in an aggressive way. Rather, the nose is perhaps more delicate than the 10 with coconut and woody spice a clear result of the two years in quarter casks. A brightness from something akin to cut hay and citrus spray is lovely. I may be deceived but do I find rum and raisin ice cream? lovely. P: Oooh! It’s thick and lucious, oozing with coconut and nuttiness with pepper, milk chocolate and some stone fruits. Flavours come in a revealing wave with plenty to chew over and a refreshing menthol cleanness. F: Lingering gingery-cinnamon warmth with a drying astringency. To me this drinks like a little more of a delicate yet impactful Arran 10, the core flavours and textures are present in this quarter cask NAS but with more of a balanced share towards the spirit and the wood. The Arran 10 is more towards a spirit focus comparatively, to my barely amateur mind in any case. Side by side with the Arran 10 the Bothy is also noticeably lighter in colour. Forgot to add, adding water did little for me. Ginger softens and comes right up front with maybe a hint of canned pineapple but I am seeming to find that Arrans are to be drunk as nature intended, straight from the bottle without adultery. Distiller whisky taste #45

“Smoked with Western Australian peat for an extended period, Darkest Winter was made to warm your soul through the darkest days and longest nights. When Master Distiller Cameron Syme formed his vision of Darkest Winter, he wanted to create a whisky that showcased Western Australian peat. Taking the gentle peat located near the depths of the Valley of the Giants in Walpole, premium Great Southern barley has been smoked for an extended period to intensify the characteristics of this rare and unique peat source. Matured in ex-bourbon American oak barrels. Darkest Winter is intended to be sipped in celebration of every great occasion or for moments of reverence. Each year Limeburners choose to celebrate the famous Darkest Winter expression on the night of the Winter Solstice Barrelled at absolute cask strength, this is peated whisky as it sits in the cask, and Darkest Winter is bottled as individually numbered cask expressions. Each barrel will exhibit its own unique characteristics, creating slight variation from batch to batch” I bought bottle 53/182 from barrel M484 at the flagship Albany Limburners last month, the night of the winter solstice, but sadly just didn’t get to open it. Having previously sampled an unknown barrel at the Giniversity location back in March it is about time to crack this beauty… N: Powerful presence that I can literally smell from across the room. There are wafts of a damp forrest; herbaceous and just delicately smoky. A warming maple sweetness and perhaps a little sticky pear. A few drops of water brings the smoke to the front and maybe the slightest orchard fruit slips through, i’m not sure, but I’ll happily sit and keep smelling this! P: an initial peppery warmth gives way to gentle sweetness from apples and dried apricots, the malt and barley are underneath but not subdued, they hold their own. Everything is wrapped in a blanket of warming subtly earthy and nutty smoke. The drops of water subtract from the palate in my mind, the lovely sweet notes melt away and the smoke and pepper ramp up. Don’t add water. F: long. Warmth and depth unravel in the smoke to a velvety dark caramel and tropical fruit, possibly even a banana note similar to dried banana chips? As for the palate, water subtracts, peppery warmth and vibrant smoke dominate. I repeat, don’t add water. Cask strength was intended and should be honoured. Oh darkest winter indeed. This has taken me back to childhood cold winter nights in the UK, trudging through mud and wet leaves in the moss covered woods of my home town. This is a whisky to savour, to reflect on, to take stock with. I feel superiorly spoiled between some of the Arrans I sampled last night, and now this. Darkest winter, to me at least, is a marvel. I am to no surprise that Jim Murray dubbed it the best whisky in the southern hemisphere (2018) nor that it has won a slew of other accolades. It’s expensive, yes But the memories this whisky brings to the fore, the delicacy with which it is put together and the sheer power with which it has captivated me easily renders it as worth it. (Pictured with some beautifully folded Albany garnet gneiss, true whisky on the rocks). Distiller whisky taste #44

Isle of Arran Distillery Virtual Tasting Event – Age of Distinction (The Whisky Company). Last 15 ml sample of the night (7/7) N- fresh and crisp, fruity P- really tropical, drying smoke, fresh grass, softening earthiness. Very light, clean, and crisp. F- medium, peppery and zesty. Distiller whisky taste #43

Isle of Arran Distillery Virtual Tasting Event – Age of Distinction (The Whisky Company). Fourth 15 ml sample of the night (4/7 N- rich creamy nose, sweet sultanas and figs, cherry darkness. P- pepper and brown sugar, orange peel, honey, fruit cake, some stone fruit and a creamy-nuttiness. F- medium. creamy, warming spices, dark chocolate, figgy sticky sweetness. Layers of complexity and a finish that keeps unravelling. Mouth feel is beautiful. The colour and nose are all sherry cask but the palate offers more nuance and interest than the, I guess comparable, 18. The peppery note, whilst enjoyable, is perhaps the slight imperfection here as it’s perhaps a tad big. Distiller whisky taste #40

Isle of Arran Distillery Virtual Tasting Event – Age of Distinction (The Whisky Company). Third 15 ml sample of the night (3/7) N- refreshing and crisp, nuttiness-almonds, bit of malt, P-dark chocolate, ginger, citrus, dark fruit and hazelnut F- medium. a little bitter, stone fruits, bakery spice, chocolate fullness. Very similar to the 10 and worlds apart from the intense sherry casking of the 18. The 21 gives more depth and complexity, fuller body and interesting soft hazelnut-chocolate notes in nose and palate. Hard to put down and layered with complexity. This 21 is easily recognisable as a progression of age from the 10. Less distinctive as it’s “own expression” compared to the 18. Distiller whisky taste #39

Isle of Arran Distillery Virtual Tasting Event – Age of Distinction (The Whisky Company). Second 15 ml sample of the night (2/7) N- syrupy, strong oakiness, orchard fruit, sherry cask influence present as jammy fullness P-brown sugar, figgy, mild bakery spices and candied ginger, vanilla F- medium. warming citrus peel, cinnamon and ginger, bread fullness. Distiller whisky taste #38