Arran 21 Year

So due to price and at least bare min quality standards I figured I' give this one a go. Shockingly little detail is out there on this bottle. Their is ZERO information about the whisky in the bottle on the fairy large all be it not great box. It's so bad that I'm kinda annoyed. Nose - orchard fruits, saw dust, and some hints of a wine cask but not getting there. Normally, I'd be concerned that this is closed off as i'm just opening it but I don't get that impression from arran's and it doesn't smell closed off. Overall it is like a lot of independent bourbon cask only bottlings from spey or highlands, just light fruits and some oak notes. But it's soft and lacking some of the better qualities. Taste - Up front there is almost nothing to talk about. It's sweet and has some fruity elements. It's boring as it can be. But then you swallow and things change. Salty elements come out, hints of peat, tannins and custards and rich vanilla. The finish is really complex and doesn't just save this whisky but pulls it from the brink of mixer status and turns it squarely into a high quality dram. The finish is legit long which is crazy at 46% and the finish brings me into this springbank kinda world. I'm a bit torn on the score. The finish is that of a 4.0 whisky. The rest of this thing however is struggling for a 1. Even the nose is insanely boring. The mouth feel is ok, but not great. Normally, I pass on the water with 46, but for the review. Instantly it's bringing out more fruits and improving the nose. Still nothing special coming out, just the same notes but more of them and a bit more alcohol. Similarly I'm getting more sweetness but the finish is fading a bit and that's the show. Yeah I'm going with a 2.75. I thought I was going 3.0 but nope.

Now that the nice staff of @Distiller added this bottle I will use that occasion to put out my review. I have this bottle for a while now and had a few drams already. I got this bottle after I had a sample of the 18y which I really liked. I also have other Arran whiskies because I am starting to become a little fanboy for them. Really nice distillery and whisky. Nose: wine gummies, red sour grapes, marzipan with honey, mixed citrus fruits, white chocolate, grains, close to become turned yellow autumn apples, white nougat / Turkish honey. Even if this is what a lot of whiskies offer on their nose Arran has something special in between it all which I can’t really define but is what I really like about it. The alcohol isn’t very present but that is probably result of the Norlan glass I use at the moment. A really well put together collection of aromas. James Mac Taggart knows his stuff. It a nose that you simply like. Palate: starts of really mild and mellow / smooth. Then it puts an interesting coat on your tongue that is made of dates, chili, dried green herbs, dark chocolate and a bid of earthyness (mushrooms) which in combination is very pleasant. It becomes more woody / oaky later and goes down with a warming sweet and cotton-like chili burn. The finish is great. Caramel, dried fruits, herbs and some fruity orange-like sourness while being all smooth and oily. Water release more sweetness and also more alcohol on the nose. Recommended but I have to say the 18y from what I remember it was nearly equally good. The 21y is smoother though, goes deeper in its aromas and has a longer finish.

I am writing this review after reviewing the younger brother of this whisky, namely the Arran Quarter Cask "The Bothy" (cask strength). I have tasted and judged them side by side for the best comparison. This dram is a special one. The youngest whisky in the bottle is at least 21 years old. Non-chill filtered, natural color, no playing around with all sorts of casks. How refreshing. Nose - After about twenty minutes (a minute in the glass for each year in the cask) I am particularly struck by the complexity on the nose. I experience more smoky and spicy characteristics than with the younger versions of Arran, which are mostly sweet and fruity. I get pepper, leather, mint, vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, honey, sherry, apple, banana, orange and apricot. A lovely nose with a lot of complexity. Palate - Not a flavor bomb, but rather soft and accommodating. It gives you a chance to really explore and look for different flavors, without overpowering the palate. The mouthfeel is deliciously creamy. Finish - Harmoniously composed and for 21 years less pushy than you might think. The finish is long, dry and peppery with hints of chocolate, coffee, dried fruits and baking spices. Water - Adding a splash of water makes the palate and finish more peppery, minty and leathery. "Incredible" : 4.5 stars | An all time favorite.

Nose: very delicate, light raisins, sherry, but also ginger and orange peel. Palate: sherry and ginger, spicy on the tip of the tongue, raisins, orange. This at the first sip. Then chocolate and cinnamon cookies come out. Again delicate and very liquid, it gives me the idea of being younger than his 21 years. You have to let it breathe in the glass for 5-10 minutes, because vice versa you can feel (maybe it will be this bottle) a slight aftertaste of "corked" which is not pleasant at all. Final: spicy with orange peel and ginger. Good, especially on the nose. But honestly I was expecting so much more! Rating 4.25 _________________________________________________________________________ Naso: delicatissimo, leggera uvetta, sherry, ma anche zenzero e scorze di arancia. Palato: sherry e zenzero, piccante sulla punta della lingua, uvetta, arancia. Questo al primo sorso. Poi vengono fuori biscotti al cioccolato e cannella. Anche qui delicato e molto liquido, mi da l’idea di essere più giovane dei suoi 21 anni. Bisogna farlo respirare nel bicchiere per 5-10 minuti, perché viceversa si avverte (forse sarà questa bottiglia) un leggero retrogusto di “tappato” che non è per niente piacevole. Finale: piccante alle scorze di arancia e zenzero. Buono, soprattutto all’olfatto. Ma onestamente mi aspettavo molto di più ! Voto 4,25

Nose: Berries, almond honey-nut cluster muesli, sweet malt, orange liqueur, peach brandy, Turkish delight, the barest hint of sawdusty oak and a zephyr of fortified wine in the background. Palate: Very soft, sweet arrival – a bowl of ripe red berries smothered in raspberry coulis, mascarpone, vanilla custard and honey. A little ginger in sweet syrup in the development together with sweet cinnamon, milk chocolate and unroasted cashew nuts. The texture is almost syrupy. Finish: Medium. Apricots, sultanas and a little mild spice on a sweet caramel base. A soft and easily approachable whisky that will please any palate but for me it lacks character and I don’t think it is good value. It’s very pleasant, for sure, but also limited in range and no better than many whiskies at a third the price. If I were to sum this one up in one word it would be "meh". I don’t mind a straightforward sweet profile focused on fruit, even if it lacks complexity, but to me this was more akin to an easy-drinking 12 year old than a 21 year old. However, I can see why some palates would be very receptive to this subtle dram and rate it more highly. Maybe I'm just jaded and my palate is too old and battered to appreciate the nuances in this sort of whisky. Tasted from a 15ml sample “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Arran has become a synonym of perfection in whisky making. I often say i have never tried anything from them that haven't scored more than 88 points in my books. Recently, they revamped they whole image, with new decanters that look like a milk bottle, and simpler labels. This is the review for the 21yo Arran, from their new bottlings. Hope this is as good as their previous 21yo, with the purple/black label. On the nose it is very perfumed, with citric notes of a recently cut orange. Orange juice, melon. Herbal, school glue and hazelnut. Amazing. On the palate it is out of this world. Caramel, orange peel and red chilli. Red fruits, gooseberries. On the second sip, it gave me dehydrated fruits, turkish delight. It feels super fancy but complex. Great stuff. Aftertaste is perfect.Tobacco, burnt hay, cigarrettes and crushed almonds. Impressive. Overall, this was a fantastic dram, with such complexity that it gave me layers of different flavors and aromas. I believe that for the price point of this one, it is simply unbeatable. I am starting to believe that it is safe to say that Arran might be on the top 5 scottish distilleries nowadays. My score for this monster is 97 over 100. Absolutely spectacular.