Arran Rare Batch 15 Year Bourdeaux cask

This is an updated tasting. I first had this limited edition (~3000 bottles) in an event offered by Australian “The Whisky Company” under the guise of “Age of Distinction Isle of Arran virtual tasting”. The tasting had seven 15 ml samples, Arran 10, 18, 21, 25, this 15 Bordeaux, 15 Argonne and a Machrie Moor. As the fifth sample of the night, and under the romantic notion of something very rare I think I may have been overly generous with the meagre sample I tried. I loved the Argonne on the night and wanted to explore it more, so tracked down a bottle. The Bordeaux didn’t capture me as much, but I was curious to give it a proper shot and the opportunity presented to get a 30 ml sample. The big difference here, the sample didn’t come in a juice bag like last time. It came in a glass bottle. Much better cricket. N: Very oily, a little subdued generic red jam, a hint of very squishy almost fermented banana, a little cheap plastic-cola (the knock off brands, not Coca Cola; and flat cola at that). P: Drying oak arrival, very wood forward rather than creamy or buttery (which is the note I like from French oak; the Chardonnay wood finish). Vanilla is subtle and comes forward more notably over successive sips. The Arran staple ginger adds warmth and a little zing. Some of the banana comes out as does some walnut-oily notes. The texture becomes a little more full but its still wrapped in dry tannins. The fruity sweetness is subdued. I recall a stronger red fruit profile, but i don’t get it now and its not as “popping” as I had it described from last time around. Dare I say it, I think Arran have delivered an OK to good palate. Nothing actually to write home about. At 52.8% I think this should do more, no? F: Medium. A little cushiony softness but it is then immediately into dryness and astringency. The wood flavour on the exit is pleasant enough and there may be a berry fruit sweetness that arrives too little and too late. A few drops of water and I find more of the berries, a little sourness possibly moving into cherry territory, and a sense of a buttery oak comes out. Much better than I recall from last time. I notice now that the water has made whats in the glass turbid and cloudy, like scrumpy cider from the old country. Water does interesting things here, the tannic dryness is subdued, buttery oak comes out, ginger becomes much sharper but with less heat. Malty, yeasty thickness develops. All sense of fruit is gone and mashed banana is the main sweetness. Finish becomes gingery warmth and thats about it. Overall I affirm and double down on my previous statement that this spent much too long in contact with the French oak. the liquid is ultimately unbalanced and confused. I really don’t know what its trying to accomplish or where its trying to go. Everything is pulling in different directions, nothing is coming together to deliver what I have come to expect of Arran: excellence. Arran will always hold a special place in my heart. It was where I took my very first geology field trip 20 years ago. Not long after the distillery opened, probably around when this stuff was laid down actually. I have loved all of the younger NAS age statement Arran’s but this retasting has raised two important questions for me: (1) will 15 ml ever be sufficient to actually taste and emote with a whisky, and (2) what is the effect of juice bagging a whisky sample over glass bottling? Please do discuss in the comments. Previously rated at 4.0/5.0. Now, down to 3.0/5.0. I would have gone 2.75, but there is a lot of interest here that makes me want to drink it, nothing is off-putting, so it can take 3 stars. 
*** 7th July 2022 Fifth 15 ml sample of the night (5/7) N- walnut oiliness, banana?, dried fruits, a savoury something (not sure what, but its good!). Dark fruits come out with more time in glass. P- oak is magic, figs and dried fruits, almonds, pastry, vanilla. Damn, flavours are popping! F- slightly soft and spicy, ginger again (clearly an arran staple), lingering jamminess and a few tannins. Has it spent TOO long in this cask? possibly… probably. The oak is punching hard for sure, but; I’m not complaining. I would go as far to say that it lacks balance, but the cask is supremely showcased. Distiller whisky taste #41

Nose: Red wine cask, oily malt, cherry cola, cranberry juice, linseed oil. A rich and very red-fruit and grape oriented nose, which is not surprising. Palate: Drying arrival, oaky and tannic as of grape and walnut skins and stewed black tea. Olive oil, lemon oil and bitter dusty cocoa in the development. Dried figs, tobacco, and black pepper towards the finish. The texture is oily and full. Finish: Medium. The dry palate slowly gains a little sweetness as it moves into the finish but there is lingering oaky astringency. The nose on this was excellent and promised rich malty and grape flavours, but the palate was too tannic for my taste. This was over-oaked IMHO and should have been bottled at about 10 years of age. Water does little for the nose, apart from diminishing it, but greatly improves the palate by softening the tannins and developing a little sweetness. However the bitter tannic tang is never quite restrained. Other reviews have been more complimentary about this expression but for me it was just barely high average. Maybe I had a bad sample? My best advice would be to try a taste of this before buying a bottle. Tasted from a 15ml sample. “Average” : 79/100 (2.75 stars)

Continuing on my mini Arran exploration is a sample of their single malt that matured for 15 years in French Oak casks that previously held red wine from the Médoc region in Bordeaux and was bottled at 52.8%. The nose starts with freeze dried raspberries, musty grapes and cigar box then dark chocolate covered cherries, espresso, toasted walnuts, and light florals of rose petals followed by salted mango, sautéed apples and charred pineapple that transitions to weathered leather and polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with baked strawberries, musty grapes and cigar box that quickly veers towards a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to cocoa powder dusted figs, sour cherries, espresso, toasted walnuts, and light florals of rose petals followed by salted mango, caramelized pears and dehydrated apricots that transitions to ginger, cloves, black pepper, weathered leather and mildly bitter black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with cocoa powder dusted figs, strawberry pie, toasted marshmallow, black pepper, freshly lit pipe tobacco and mildly bitter black tea. After 15 years of aging in a wine cask, the wine influence is unsurprisingly front and center on the nose starting with sweet and tart berries along with earthiness, florals, citrus and well-aged oak that carries over to the taste but the balance is off with a moderate spice and mildly bitter tea that finishes on the sweet side with a mix of tobacco and mild bitter tea. Another delicious dram from Arran that has some slight flaws to it, but overall I’d happily drink a glass of this any time.