Arran 10 Year

Nose: Sweet, floral honey with vanilla, bitter orange peel, peaches, and a hint of grass. Taste with 5 ml of water: A complex floral honey sweetness hits immediately. The mid-palate transitions from sweet to bitter lemon peel and cinnamon spice. The whisky then finishes out on a warm white pepper spice with bitter vanilla, spearmint, a hint of clean smoke, and a bit of salt. Notes: The finish draws on for a very long time compared to other Scotches I have had, and the ethanol is well integrated. This reminds me of Deanston 12yr with a reduction in sweet complexity and an increase in wood presence as well as some sea salt. It is very well balanced, and the finish is amazingly long. This is a very elegant integrity malt, and I look forward to trying this in a Sauternes cask as it will likely be amazing given the base malt profile. This is natural color and non chill-filtered at 46%.

4.0 stars - Excellent, 750 ml bottle. Let’s be clear. The Distiller expert score is old and outdated. With the 2019 rebrand, we actually have a higher quality product. In fact, I have transcribed a little know audio recording from one of Arrans marketing meetings: VP: This is a brand new distillery and we need ideas on how to stand out in a crowded market. Intern: Let’s make a whiskey that doesn’t suck. VP: Sounds risky. How would that even work? Intern: 46% ABV, non chill filter, no added color, mostly bourbon barrel, we can even print the label in braille as a sign it is very accessible and progressive. VP: We need to keep costs down. Intern: We can bottle it at 10 years. VP: People love old whiskey. Intern: Seems like Glenmorangie 10, Talisker 10, Ardbeg 10, and Springbank 10 are doing OK. VP: That will never work. Intern: OK. Sorry, boss. VP; OK, gents, what we are going to do is make a whisky that doesn’t suck… I love this bottle. Everything about it is honest. Even the flavor description (“Rich, honeyed, malted. Soft vanilla & coconut flavor. Citrus fruit freshness, orchard fruits, and hazelnuts.”) is exactly correct.

Zacht licht boter aroma