Arran Sauternes Cask Finish Single Malt

Nose: Sweet, heavy floral woody notes. Muesli and vanilla yoghurt drizzled with manuka honey ; tropical flowers in a hothouse (hibiscus and frangipani) that are dusky and almost stifling in their fleshy, dank aromatic presence. Lemon zest, pineapple, banana, stone fruits (apricot, nectarine, peach), some orchard fruit. What a seductress of a nose! Palate: Sweet arrival - very sweet, almost syrupy. The development brings out a flood of warm spicy notes that unfold like a glowing blanket, build to an almost-but-not-quite hot crescendo, and then subside to mild warmth. The texture is oily and dense and carries a host of sweet fruity and floral flavours. The seduction is complete - I submit! Finale: Medium. Sweet cereal, citrus and malty notes fade to a mild bittersweet aftertaste that is quite excellent. Standing ovation. The sauternes-fu is strong with this one. Whew, so much dessert wine influence! I know from the horse's mouth that Arran likes to use wet casks, but these must still have had liters of sauternes sloshing around in them. You'd be forgiven for thinking this would produce something franken-awful, but not at all. It's delicious and amazingly fresh and vigorous. However, don't bring expectations of po-faced elegance to the gunfight, because you'll be dead in the sand. This is all Mae West, showing her sassiest and most sophisticated side. Yee-ha! Is that a pistol in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me? This is the first of three reviews, tasting the cask-finished trio from Arran. We're off to a blazing start. This is a stunning whisky (tasted from a 30ml sample) "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Lemon Starburst chews on the nose. Lemony in the mouth too; smooth and oily to boot. The finish is long, sweet and a little sour. Goes down easy at full strength, but a bit of water doesn’t hurt. Perfectly fine, especially when the second one is free during happy hour!

No peat or smoke, honey hay and sweet oak. Dry start sweet on finish. Delicious

- lemon - floral - white wine - champagne - citrus - pineapple - Macintosh apple - honey - cut up green apple - dry sweetness - caramel - vanilla - lemon rind - lemon grass - herbs from a vegetable garden - cucumber - green jolly rancher - dish washer soap

Nose: A very unique fragrance, a mix of bananas, honey, unripened lemon zest. Nutmeg with a hint of peanut oil appear with a delicate vanilla flower note. Apples are very apparent, but a green apple (green jolly rancher) with white grapes and a light salt note. The nose is very dry, white and green fruit notes are predominant, similar almost to a light champagne. Adding water really brings out an herbal note, reminiscent of walking through a vegetable garden. Palate: A heavier sweetness comes in the taste, overpowering honey and white grapes, the sauternes influence almost makes you think you're tasting white wine. Delicate and floral with the lightness and bitterness of lemon rinds. Very dry feeling on the tongue and easy going considering the 50% ABV. Finish: Medium length with a slight oak, even more so after adding water