Arran 10 Year

I finished reviewing Talisker’s core range last week, so it’s fitting that I’d start working my way through a new island distillery now. This is my first Arran review, so no expectations. This bottle is from before they changed the packaging; it’s the narrower bottle as opposed to the newer, squat bottles, meaning that this can be treated as an “older vintage.” Nose: Heavy on the orchard fruit. Macintosh apple, pear, and apricot. Vanilla, honey, toffee, and malt add more sweetness. There is just a touch of plum, grape, and raisin adding a bit of richness to the aroma. Floral notes. Lemon drop and orange citrus. There’s a note that is extremely reminiscent of Sprite. Mild spice and oak. Palate: Macintosh apple, pear, apricot, and orange citrus once again, along with the floral notes. White grape and golden raisin. The Sprite again. Light custard with some vanilla, toffee, and honey. Sugar cookie. Banana. Medium-roast coffee. Light spice and oak. Finish: Macintosh apple, pear, and apricot. Plum, raisin, and grape. Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. Moderate length finish. Compared to its peated counterparts, this makes for a fairly mild drinking experience. Yet, at 46%, it’s actually stronger than most of the entry level malts in this category. The flavor comes across like a Highland, which threw me off just a bit. But that’s just a product of my expectations. Every Island distillery needs to be judged on its own merits. I’m looking forward to getting a grasp on Arran. As for the 10 year, 3.75. A bit pricy at $64, but a solid whisky. I’m locked in to try the rest of the range based on the quality of this flagship malt.

Nose is hotter than ABV would indicate. After 5 minutes in the glass there’s a lot of alcohol burn, some dry grass, and not much else. Another 15 minutes and the alcohol dissipates enough to get earthy, savory mushroom smells, but now there’s also a lingering back note of sour compost (or maybe hot spilled beer?) that while not overly off-putting is also not intriguing. Get past the earthy sour and there are faint notes of pear, tart apple and honey. Palate is creamy and sweet, with apples and pears and honeydew. But it’s not good quality fruits and flowers-it’s more like eating a piece of an edible platter at the end of a long party; you know it’s a white fruit, but that’s all you can say with real certainty. There’s also a faint lingering sour note, as though the compost aroma carried through to the taste. Close is medium-short, clean, and otherwise unremarkable. I know I just sipped whisky, but there are no real flavors that stick around for me to consider. This is my first Arran, and the creamy mouthfeel is the best part for me. Nose is decidedly meh, and the flavors are just too mushy, too non-descript to keep me coming back. I’m not completely put off the brand, but this isn’t the best of starts.

Thought about digging up something special for #300, but more organic to review the any-day pour that ended up in my glass tonight before the bottle ends up empty. Cheers all! A honeyed orange. Slightly above average weight. Like the bottle and packaging. Nose is vanilla, jasmine, and sugar syrup. Orange blossom. Fresh green bean. Butter cookie. The palate brings chocolate orange and vanilla custard. Super creamy for a 10-year. A bit of aspartame tang. Roasted pineapple. Beeswax. Can taste the bourbon cask and a bit of youthful barley. Pretty good - would reach for it again. Nice and direct flavor, good body, but pretty monotone profile with some sharpness. Brash but promising. Not worth it at everyday retail but I like it around $50.

A mild and inviting aroma from this island malt. Vanilla and citrus saltwater taffy, digestive biscuits with a dollop of honey, and sea breeze carrying just a hint of pears ripening in a nearby orchard. Anything but mild on the tongue, with a surprisingly spicy entry that is packed with flavor. Rich, sweet and fruity, but kicked up with red pepper, plus baking spices. It is like hot and spicy stewed pears and apples in syrup with a honey oat vanilla crumble on top. Medium-full bodied with a nice oily texture that really coats the mouth. Legs are neat, even, and relatively slow. Some bitterness in the long finish, walnuts, oak, and eventually dried fruits, raisins and dried apples. A superb dram! Nose: 8.5 Taste: 10 Body: 9 Finish: 9

Let's re-review the winner of the Online Scotch Whisky Awards (OSWAs) in the category 'best entry-level bottling'. The nose of Arran 10 features a lovely tropical fruit complexity, think pineapple, mango and lemon cream. Hints of milk chocolate, cereals and butterscotch gain momentum. On the palate, the rich and juicy mouthfeel is flanked by sour berries, peaches and wood spices. Lime juice, apricot jam and pepper round off the taste, while the finish lingers with honey, ginger and a touch of cider. No wonder this malt is so popular, it's a modern classic! RATING: 3.9/5.0 stars ≙ 86 pts → FIRST-CLASS [-]

Perfect craft presentation. Age statement, non-chill filtered, natural color, 46% ABV (notice the braille on the label). A beautiful soft mist in a golden sunset. Leaves a faint ashy film along the glass. 1½ oz pour to 3/5 oz cold spring water, 10 minutes rest. Intense old oak opens the nose, floral honey, baked pineapple. Bold and zesty on the palate, spicy ginger, viscous, bittering. Intense, brain-filling finish, dry malt and more oak. A true foundation dram. Start a whisky journey of a thousand bottles from here. Dry glass: beloved old books