Arran Machrie Moor Cask Strength 3rd Edition (2016 Release)

Strong

Nice.

Nose: Smoke and peat, pine resin. Light floral and fruity notes way down deep. It’s a somehow distant, very dry and ethereal nose. Palate: Taken neat the arrival is dry and spicy, then there is an intense alcohol heat. Suddenly the development springs from nowhere with an explosion of fruity flavours – grapefruit, lemon, pineapple, cranberries, goji berries – but then it fades just as quickly as it appeared. One of the most fleeting developments I’ve ever tasted. There is a subtle background smokiness throughout. Finish: Medium, a lingering astringent and hot sweetness with some oak tannin. The aromas and flavours of this whisky are reserved, distant and locked up tight as a drum by the high alcohol level. It has a fruity and lightly smoky character overall, but the fruitiness is dry rather than sweet. When taken neat it’s most enjoyable 5 minutes after finishing the dram, when the palate has relaxed and overcome the alcohol shock and the after-echoes of the whisky reveal its full character. When diluted down to under 50% it is much more approachable, but there is a fine line between taming the high abv and washing out the delicate character. If adding water do so very slowly, drop by drop, and allow it to sit and recover for 10 minutes. A curious malt that is almost but not quite immensely satisfying. I can’t help but feel that it was bottled at far too high a strength for such a delicate and subtle whisky and I prefer the non-cask strength Machrie Moor expressions. They seem more balanced and complete. It's also one of the most natural presentations of a whisky I've ever encountered. Add a couple of drops of water and within moments a thick mist arises in the spirit - it must be seething with heavy oils and has only had the most cursory of filtrations. Yay! “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)