Arran 10 Year

Quick burst of taste that quickly fades away. Very refreshing and fruity.

I was looking forward to this as I enjoyed my previous drams from Arran: the Machrie Moor and the 12yo CS. The nose yields some strong fruit aromas like lemon, orange, raisins and a Barratts fruit salad sweet (pineapple and raspberry flavour). Ralfy says fresh fruit basket and he’s not wrong. There’s light salt and a bit of a seaweed or coastal smell too. There’s a nice balance to it and it is very drinkable. Lightly sweet, sherried and creamy with blackcurrant to the fore and some spice and mint on the finish. For the 46% it is not at all hot or harsh throughout. The empty glass reminds me of chocolate rice krispie buns. I’m not the first to compare it to a sherried, Irish potstill but it reminds me of a salted Redbreast. That is good company in my book.

Citrus and vanilla are found initially on the nose, with a malty cereal sweetness in the background. The palate is bright and creamy. Tangerines and honeycomb sweetness come in early on as a slightly bitter, yet pleasant herbal, floral flavor arrives to finish the experience. The herbal notes and sweetness linger for a while throughout the finish. It's just a fantastic whisky. The abv on this one is spot on for this 46% non chill filtered, natural-color whisky. There arent many whiskys at this 10 year age that will rival the flavor experience of this dram.