N: Berries abound with a jammy juiciness. Creme brûlée and dark fruits, pepper and cocoa all layer on top of that fantastic Arran malt staple. P: Creamy, ginger, pepper, bitter cocoa, hazelnut and cherries. A single drop of water reveals a light orange and some of the honey tones found in other Arran expressions. F: Medium-short. Drying with buttery toasted pastry, jams and bitter dark chocolate. This is the last of the cask tastings in my flight tonight. All of them fantastic. And, unsurprisingly, all different. Yet, the core Arran spirit profile can be found unifying all three cask finishes. Where the Sauternes is spring time, bright and delicately refined; the Amarone is autumn with flavours that go from deep to fleeting with a full and exciting profile. The Port cask though. is winter. Richer, darker and more powerful than its brethren. The port cask reminds me of Ron Burgundy: “I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany”, thats where this port cask finish will be at home, in a deep Chesterfield armchair surrounded by musty books and decadence. For anyone who wants to make whisky and do no wrong, Arran is not a bad place to copy. Distiller whisky taste #49