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.