Arran 18 Year (Limited Edition)

One of the highlights of our recent golf and distillery tour of western Scotland was the Isle of Arran. Nestled in the Firth of Clyde next to the Kintyre Peninsula and Campbeltown area, the island is both picturesque and a geological wonder. Like Scotland itself, the highland boundary fault cuts the island in half leaving a northern portion with rocky hills and the peak of Goat Fell reaching 2,866 feet. The southern areas are considered lowlands but still hilly. Arran distillery is located in the northwest corner at Lochranza, and they are currently building a second facility on the southern tip of the 167 sq. mi. isle at Lagg. Lochranza was chosen as the location for the original distillery due to its water source, Loch Na Davie, which they claim provides the softest water on the island and possibly all of Scotland. Since their inception, Arran has had a reputation for using quality casks and this is very evident on the nose with all of their expressions. For a young distillery (1995) they have also done a fair amount of experimentation with quarter and winey cask finishes. During our stay we tried a wide variety, including their rare 21st Anniversary and ArranTrust editions. Others included their new 18yo, the Port Cask Finish, Machrie Moor, Machrie Moor CS, The Bothy-Qtr Cask, 14yo, 12yo CS, 10yo, Lachranza Reserve, Sauternes Cask Finish, Amarone Cask Finish, Madeira Cask Finish, and a blend or two. If one could only use a single hyphenated word to describe the Arran distillery and their whiskies it would be “high-quality.” For this reason they have already attracted an impressive cadre of followers that swamped the distillery recently for the release of “The Exciseman,” which sold out in only two days and is already bringing twice the retail price at auction. We spent four days on Arran slowly enjoying the above listed with standouts for me being their new 18yo (blue label, copper lettering), followed by the 21st Anniversary, and, lastly, the peaty Machrie Moor CS edition. A few of my friends liked the Port Cask Finish best. My favorite, the 18yo, was bottled at 46% ABV, and aged in a mixture of ex-bourbon and sherry barrels. And, like everything else Arran does, is non-chill filtered with no color added. I found the nose on the 18yo to be both unique and superb. It was unusually spicy with unrecognizable elements and a cut above their other offerings. My guess is the extra time in the casks contributed to this, but it somehow didn’t translate the same way for their 21st Anniversary release, which is a combination of spirits from their first 3 bottlings (95, 96, & 97). The palate on the 18 was a smooth mix of honeyed vanilla, almonds, and cinnamon spices with just the right amount of heat to preclude water. The finish was, again, smooth and satisfying with hints of roasted barley and a tad sweet, but mostly dry. An excellent dram I would rate at 4.25 stars with the others being not far behind. Keep your eyes on these folks; they are climbing fast!

This was a very interesting 18 year old malt from Arran. This bottle was once a part of a 3-year, limited run of a 16, 17 and 18yo malts, but it has now become a part of Arran’s core range. This one comes in at 46%, is NCF’d and has no color added. It’s a beautiful yellow gold and appears very oily, although it doesn’t create many legs at all. The nose was initially sawdust and fresh cut oak, even after 20+ minutes. There’s a bit of apples and cinnamon, but I had to work for them. Truly an apple pie on the nose. Unfortunately, I was hoping for more. The palate really came alive, though. Milk chocolate and oranges open things up with a perfect balance of sweet and citrus. The sugary sweetness really sets the tone for a nice dessert dram. Mid-sip a heavier than expected ginger bitterness crept in and ushered away the dessert notes and lead to a long and spicy finish. It remained oily, which was a big plus, while letting the chocolate notes linger on. A weak nose really doesn’t do this malt any justice. It’s a very good dram. Easily 4-4.25 stars. Seek it out. Cheers.

Nose - Floral honey, dark apple juice, light caramel, golden raisins, nougat Taste - Gentle sweet spice, sweet golden raisins, lightly drying, hint of dried pineapple, fresh apples with skin, hint of ripe yellow peach Finish - Lingering sweet tingle, creamy caramel, golden raisins, lightly drying Score - 85/100 Final Thoughts - This one was quite nice, seems like a nice blend of sherry influences with a high component of bourbon/refill to mellow things out a bit. Light bright sweetness from start to finish, bit of depth but still remains mostly a "bright" fruity/floral vibe to it. Very drinkable & enjoyable & is something I could see myself sipping on in the spring/summer when I want something to sip on but not really focus on any complex flavors. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Maybe

An interesting dram from Arran. Nose starts off a bit weak, but the palette is where it comes alive with flavors of salted caramel, brine, and chocolate—-all in layers. Would’ve been almost like a Talisker if it had that peppery kick as well. Would I buy a full bottle? Yes...if it was under $100.

Good, but terribly fragile despite being 46% ABV. I suspect adding water would render this whisky flavorless. There's apples, some honey and malted barley on the nose, with a generous dose of cinnamon on the nose. Think apple pie and if that's you're thing, so will this whisky. Cheers!

Vanilla, honey and orchard fruit on the nose. Malted cereal, citrus and hint of passionfruit on the palate. Fruity and medium-length finish. Tasty and well-balanced dram.