Arran tasting night at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 12 July 2019. Whisky #1 Nose: Light fragrant cereal with a biscuit quality and vanilla notes (reminiscent of vanilla macaroons or langue de chat). Mild citrus, apple and a tiny hint of maritime brine. Palate: A sparkling, sweet cereal arrival and a dry malty development, but the overall impression is of a lean, bright sweetness. The dry notes resolve to elegant spicy tones. The texture is fine, but not particularly noteworthy. Finish: Medium/short. Cereal notes fading into a slightly briny/spiced aftertaste. The whisky has a clean and crisply dry foundation with sweet top-notes. It comprises 7-8 year old spirit that is mostly matured in refill bourbon casks. It's a light and refreshing malt, good for summer and probably very nice in a long Japanese-style highball. The only thing particularly going against it is the price point, at which it is completely outmatched by several iconic single malts of great character. I last reviewed this a couple of years ago - there have been no changes at all in the profile, and my rating is the same. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)