Arran tasting night at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 12 July 2019. Whisky #6 Nose: Fruity and light with tropical juice notes (pineapple, mango), grassy cereal aromas and a little vanilla toffee. The smoke note is mild and fragrant. Palate: The arrival is crisply sweet and smoky with citrus fruit, pineapple and malted barley. More smoke appears in the development, but it remains delicate and restrained, and as the palate opens some light gingery spice is apparent. There is a touch of vanilla and a savory/sweet note like salted caramel milk chocolate. The smoke character is omnipresent, but understated. Finish: Medium. Smoky and very slightly briny but not dry. The lingering aftertaste is sweet smoke. This is a charming and demure smoky single malt that is notable for its sweet, crisp fruity profile. The smoke character is peaty (rather than woody or ashen) but it is mild and restrained - this is not a stereotypical peat monster and those looking for a south-east coastal Islay style of smoke will be very disappointed. The peating level is around 20ppm and the distillery uses peated malt from the mainland. The most similar profiles I can think of are Glenglassaugh Torfa and Benromach Peated, but they are much more forceful drams and do not have the fruitiness of the Arran spirit. It takes water very well, developing a sweet creaminess but no plasticine notes, however it is also very good neat. I like this gently peated whisky and I’ve enjoyed several Machrie Moor expressions over the years, both the 46% and cask strength editions. I’m the first to admit that it is not a particularly complex or challenging malt - but not every whisky has to be like that and sometimes a gentle dram is just right for the moment. NOTE: From 2010-2017 this single malt was issued as an annual “Edition”, with the edition number and year of issue printed on the front label. This practice ceased with Edition 8 in 2017/18 and as of late 2018 Machrie Moor has been part of the core range and the label no longer shows an edition or year of issue. The same is the case for the Cask Strength version of Machrie Moor, which is also now part of the core range. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)