[Batch #4 / Sep 2014 / 53.2%] Arran is not the first scotch you conjure up when you think Island whiskies. How smokey is this (it’s must be peaty, right?) How briny is this one? This Arran is cask strength and labeled as Non-chilled filtered and natural color. A nosing of this simply reveals dried apricots, oranges and hazelnuts. Given plenty of time and I could not further detect much more. The opening is light and faint with little depth. With the minimal setup by the nose, the question looms: how weak with the palate be? A medium-dense body delivers more than the nose. The sherry influence of baking spices and nuts are the core flavors. Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and walnuts. Several more sips reveals dates and baker’s chocolate. The bourbon influence is also detectable of dark brown sugar and vanilla, though not strong. The two barrel-influenced flavors interplay works well. The finish is slightly orange-bitter/orange zest with drying oak with ground cinnamon. A deep, warming whisky. Add a liberal dose of water which creates a great scotch mist. It also weakens the bitterness allowing the sweeter side of the dram to come through. Much improved. For a cask strength, this is surprisingly tame. There is burn, but it’s tolerable. A soft, sweet simple nose and a nutty and spicy, somewhat flavorful palate creates a dichotomy between the two senses. This is a perfect on a brisk, autumn evening with the Thanksgiving spices warming the soul. [Dry Glass: Toasted Marshmallows][$65][87/100][Tasted: 8/19/17]