Arran Quarter Cask "The Bothy"

Natural Cask Strength - 56.2%, non chill filtered and natural colour. Nose: lime, fruit and honey. Palate: coconut, almonds, vanilla, oak and pineapple. Finish: medium with spices, vanilla and cinnamon. With Water: Nose: much more fruits, pineapple, tropical fruits and rich apples. Palate: apples, spices, vanilla, tropical fruits and bubblegum. Finish: medium-long with cinnamon and fresh cherries. This is a lovely dram from Arran it’s been aged 7 years in ex bourbon casks, followed by 2 more in quarter casks. It’s good with or without water, but I find the water really opens this up. Value for money is excellent with this being 5-10$ more than the 10 year old. This may be an unpopular opinion, I like the Arran 10 year old but find it to be lacking something for my taste. This quarter cask brings all the same flavours as the 10 year old but “turns them up to 11” which gets rid of any feelings of lacking I may have had. This and the Arran port casks might just end up as my go to Arrans.

Nose: Buttery and floral. A hint of cherry. Palate: Slightly thick creamy mouthfeel. Black pepper, mango, hints of citrus. Finish: The mango lingers but it's accompanied by fresh oak and baking spices.

Heavy on the nose, good flavor, too much burn on the backside for me.

Floral and citrussy nose. I am a bourbon drinker diving into the world of Scotch so my palate is acclimating. To me, it is a very similar nose to the Glenmorangie Original but with more depth of flavour. Palate is fruity with the oak spice shining through. A nice dram for the spring. Medium finish. I would recommend this to a bourbon drinker who is used to higher proof trying to get into Scotch!