Arran The High Seas

Remember when i told you that i have tasted the Arran Smuggler's series III, "The Exciseman", and i scored it 100 over 100? Well, i have opened their second (and previous) release, Part II of the collection, called "The High Seas",  and i expected it to be as good. The High Seas were, without a doubt the most uncontrolled way to smuggle various goods in the past (and nowadays). This is the zone of the sea that doesn't belong to anyone. It was only proper for Arran to name their second expression like this, specially when a parcel of this whisky was matured in caribbean rum casks, as well as peated whisky was also used. Bottled at 55.4%abv, this bottle is hiding in a book of course, for smuggling purposes. On the nose, it starts amazingly tropical: Bananas, solid meringue and peaches. Rum and raisins ice cream and butter. It is a very appealing aroma. On the palate, (insert a bad word here to describe how good this is in a very personal and incredible way). The greatest toffee on  cookie dough mixed with some metallic/sulphuric notes with a powerful wasabi. Dulce de leche ice cream, prunes and red fruits. This is out of this world. Intergalactic dram. Aftertaste is powerful, salty, ritz crackers. There is this beautiful knock out punch to your face that is full of red chilli. Fantastic. Overall.... Arran. The name has become a synonym of great whiskies, always. This is the best performance a whisky can ever give you; literally i couldn't ask for any more than this. It makes me feel that if i dare to deduct a point, which would be undeserved, is because i want to be an interesting guy who believes that is superior to this single malt, and i can tell you, i am a flawed man, but this whiskies has no flaws. Out of this galaxy, this is a 100 point score in my books. Slàinte Mhath friends!!

Perhaps the most complex of the three, with rum casks, Quarter casks, and virgin oak casks all playing for attention. The nose is salty with hints of the sandy sea shore, sandalwood, and lavender. The palate has a bit of the salt, but is much sweeter with floral candies dominating. They compliment (or maybe clash with) prominent mineral notes. The finish is not as long as the other volumes, but there is a nice floral vanilla.

I got a chance to try this high end offering from a new friend in the Boston area (who wishes to remain anonymous). I haven’t had many pours from Arran distillery, but this one looked really good and was finished in rum casks. I like a good curveball every now and then. The High Seas is a special, cask strength release that uses a very cool presentation : the case looks and opens like an old book. I believe it’s meant to recreate clever ways pirates used to smuggle alcohol around the islands. It’s bottled at 54.4% ABV and is extremely light gold with thin legs and tiny water droplets left behind after a spin. The nose starts off salty with some peppery oak notes, but if you give it some time you’re rewarded with vanilla and coconut notes and even a hint of peppermint. It’s very lively. The palate brings lots of rum cask flavors and a lot of heat. Pepper and citrus add an additional layer of zing, but the overall mouthfeel is still luscious and oily. The finish is long and ridiculously hot (and I loved every bit of it). It turned dry and salty again at the very end and left behind a nice coconut note. Overall, it’s a great offering. I love the coconut and rum curveball, especially after sipping on a peaty Ardbeg. Thanks again, Mr Anonymous- I owe you a nice thank you pour for this one. 4.25-4.5 stars. I wouldn’t mind finding a bottle of this at some point. It’s a great change of pace. Cheers.

The packaging of these editions are outstanding, looking like expensively bound books in a 3-part series. The binder cover has hidden magnets keeping it firmly in place, and upon opening you find a weathered cover page with information about the series. Another flip reveals the hidden treasure, seemingly hiding in carved out pages, along with a short history of smuggling on the island, and more info on the whisky itself. Volume 2 shares its contents as follows: Arran Single Malt - Rum Cask Finish, Matured in 200L American Oak Barrels; Arran Single Malt - Peated Stock 50PPM, Matured in 200L Ex-Bourbon Barrels; and Arran Single Malt - Unpeated Arran Malt, Matured in 200L Ex-Bourbon Barrels, 1st Fill. The whisky is cask strength with an ABV of 55.4%, natural color, and non-chill filtered. I’ve included a Dropbox link to some photos in the comments section. The color of this spirit is a light gold, suggesting a healthy oak influence, given no age statement, and the nose confirms this assessment; it’s alcoholic with strong hints of creamy vanilla, oaken tannins, and bourbon spiciness. Disoriented, I have visions of Kentucky bluegrass instead of the salty shores of Lochranza, and home of the Arran distillery in the northwest corner of the isle that shares its name. Intrigued, I quickly move to the first taste. Wow, the tongue is pelted with a peppery effervescence, and the taste buds struggle to make sense of all the commotion. Like hot chili peppers, they’re almost intolerable but you know you love them. My first reaction is hot, spicy and very likable. It’s a bear invading a bee's nest willing to take hundreds of stings to lick out the honey, but this baby needs to be tempered with a few cubes or some H2O. In doing so, the spirit mellows out to a delightful concoction of honeyed vanilla, citrus, and discernable notes of bourbon and rum spices wrapped up in a mostly dry delivery. The finish feels young and rambunctious with hints of cinnamon and white pepper. The peat influence is minimal, but in this formulation the spirit does take on a maritime quality that evokes images of the high seas and the men that braved them for the enjoyment of others. Very unique and very enjoyable; a solid 4 stars.