Arran 14 Year (Old Label)

Difficult to rate, more difficult to satisfy all readers on this one, because this is not for everyone. Shining gold color. 46%abv On the nose you get a gentle aroma, not to penetrating, very perfumed for a 14 year old. Some notes i got (after putting my nose to a test): Wet forest; Some type of candy, Butterscotch candy. Hazelnut. Orange peel, and a piece of wood that in Ecuador beaches is popular to repel mosquitos when burned, called "Palo santo", which i took the liberty to search for the english term and i got, lignum vitae (not a term you expect everybody to know). All that gentleness is lost in the palate. Because of its 46% abv, it is Super hot. Oak everywhere. Very woody, tastes like old wood. Finish is long and hot. There is also the sensation of a strong mint coming from your insides when you exhale. Adding a couple of drops of water released a peppery spice, making it more drinkable and pleasant, improving the experience widely. Nevertheless is still hot, still strong. It is so hot like drinking fire. Full bodied, fills your whole mouth. Very Malty, it is not for me, i should not have to add water to really enjoy a dram, that is my way of thinking. I know some people will love it, some will hate it. I found myself doing both.

Bottled in 2017. Arran needs to be highlighted as a distillery that is currently improving. I still have a bottle of Arran 10 from 2013, and it is pretty bad. So, even as recently as 7-8 years ago, this distillery was putting out bad whisky. Now, they are releasing modern masterpieces. The new 10, 14, and 18 year olds I have tried, and they are all great; but it is the 14 that is spellbinding. Precision and complexity. That’s difficult to pull off, but this whisky does that with a delicate balance of cream and green. Vanilla custard. Green apples and citrus with powdered sugar. Kiwi and cucumber with caramel. A welcomed sharp kick of ginger and sage on the finish with the soft oakiness reminiscent of a much more expensive Japanese whisky. When sipping on this dram, it feels like a creation with real intention, like it was authored. When buying, be sure to get the modern appearing bottles. Unlike with most other distilleries, you want to avoid any dusty old-fashioned bottles. Score: ** (unimaginably good) How much does a bottle cost: $70-100 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $150

Saw this on sale for $52, seemed like a good value for a 14 yr and the 10 has good reviews. Non chill filtered and 92pf is a thumbs up Poured neat, nice coating of glass. Nose has buttered shortbread, rich malt, cinnamon applesauce and spiced oak. Pretty deep with only a trace of ethanol. Thick oily mouthfeel leads palate of creamy spicy malt with some apple, barley sugar and strong oak . Some heat and sizzle comes through but this is tasty scotch. Its aligned with Deanston 12 profile focusing more on the pure malt flavor with some surrounding accents. Finish is fading malt, some vanilla bean with sturdy oak that dries for some balance. Slightly bitter at end but not unpleasant. Great weight and powerpacked flavor make for an excellent single malt. Doesn't have the smoothness of older scotches(has some heat)and I would give the edge to Deanston but this is still upper level malt imo......89/100.......minor deduction for price and excess heat for a 14 yr

Nose - Light, apples, dark honey, pomelo, light subtle spice, peach/nectarines. Taste - Fresh apple, hint of pear, peach, pomelo pith, light white pepper tingle, hint of tea bitterness, honey. Finish - Lingering tea bitterness, floral fruit, honeyed apple, light lingering spice. Score - 86/100 Final Thoughts - Very pleasant dram, nice balance of floral & fruit, not overly complex but does its job well. Feels very summery and feels like it'd be great in a highball. This seems like it'd be a good "intro" Scotch for people too as there's nothing really offensive about it, easy to sip, might be a bit "spicy" for some palates, but some water should tame it out. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes, if price is right Would I buy a bottle? - Maybe, I'd pay up to $70 USD for a bottle

Arran 14yr old.  46%, Non Chill Filtered, Natural Color Arran is great in general. I really enjoyed the 10yr old but ended up giving it away to one of my friends who really enjoyed it after an evening of sampling whiskies.  I was surprised at just how much more you get out of the 14yr old vs the 10yr.  Both are very good but this 14 is really nice. Smelling this is great – Fruit, Almonds, Grass, Honey, Vanilla, and Barley Sugar. The Taste is vanilla, toffee, caramel apple, some sherried flavors (raisins, figs, spice, clove).  With water the spice and clove really come out and the vanilla fades a bit.  Very enjoyable neat or with water.  The Finish is medium with green apples, spice, clove and cinnamon. I'm not sure this one is being produced anymore but all Arrans are good. Overall Grade: B

This is a nice whiskey. When I first opened the bottle it was a little tight and boring but it’s become more interesting as it’s opened up. On the nose I get vanilla, caramel, hay, lychee, and macadamia nuts. On the palate there’s modeling clay, papaya, marzipan, chewy caramels, sweet honeysuckle and light herbal notes. The finish is oily and medium in length with more modeling clay and marzipan that lingers. It’s not mind blowing but it’s really nice. It has become a whiskey that I turn to at the beginning of an evening when I’m planning to do a tasting flight. It has complexity and balance that helps warm up my palate without overloading my taste buds.