Arran Lochranza Reserve

A cowboy walks into a bar and pulls up a seat next to a pretty woman. The woman turns to him and says, “O wow, neat! Are you a real life cowboy?” “I wear a cowboy hat," the cowboy begins, "and leather cowboy boots." "I tend to livestock, and occassionally pick low hanging fruit. So, yes, that makes me a cowboy," he finishes. "What about you?”, the cowboy asks. The pretty woman doesn’t miss a beat. “I’m a lesbian," she says. "I think about a woman when I wake up. I think about a woman while at work. I think about a woman when I’m in the shower. I think about a woman when I’m in bed.” The cowboy says nothing, and appears deep in thought. A couple of minutes pass and the pretty woman gets up and walks out. Not long afterwards, a couple arrives and sits down next to the cowboy. They ask him, “Are you a real cowboy?” “I am," the cowboy replies, "Or at least I thought I was. But I just found out I’m a lesbian!” The name of this malt intrigued me as I stood at my favorite liquor store. Like what happens to a kid in a candy store, the abundance of quality brands and bottles temporarily erased dozens of my IQ points. "Lochranza", I thought, "something European... Italian, maybe?" That silly notion and the decent price made the choice for me. After returning home, I googled "Lochranza" only to realize that there's a "loch" in Lochranza. Duh! Thus the name of the town that's home to the Arran distillery was imparted to this expression. All very customary. Onto my first experience with an Arran. The initial sip is vibrant with spice and citrus. Subsequent tipples reveal white grapes and sweet, dry cornflakes (thanks to @twright3 for the tasting notes). Good amount of heat on the finish. A bit of saltiness makes itself known like an Old Pulteney 12, but it's drier and not as smooth. Actually, the ethanol prickliness doesn't work very well with the palate - so this falls short from being as effervescent as my expectations were after the first notes. This is still a tad pricey for what it is. I don't think you'll get what you pay for if this costs more than $40. Nonetheless, this is pleasant enough for me to mindlessly quaff while watching a football game or a movie. Update: I had a glass of this following an Old Fashioned and, damn, it was like drinking liquid butterscotch.

Arran tasting night at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 12 July 2019. Whisky #1 Nose: Light fragrant cereal with a biscuit quality and vanilla notes (reminiscent of vanilla macaroons or langue de chat). Mild citrus, apple and a tiny hint of maritime brine. Palate: A sparkling, sweet cereal arrival and a dry malty development, but the overall impression is of a lean, bright sweetness. The dry notes resolve to elegant spicy tones. The texture is fine, but not particularly noteworthy. Finish: Medium/short. Cereal notes fading into a slightly briny/spiced aftertaste. The whisky has a clean and crisply dry foundation with sweet top-notes. It comprises 7-8 year old spirit that is mostly matured in refill bourbon casks. It's a light and refreshing malt, good for summer and probably very nice in a long Japanese-style highball. The only thing particularly going against it is the price point, at which it is completely outmatched by several iconic single malts of great character. I last reviewed this a couple of years ago - there have been no changes at all in the profile, and my rating is the same. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

I have heard good things about Araan and happened to see this what I gather is their entry-level single malt. Though I think this has been dropped from the lineup and has recently changed to the Barrel Reserve Single Malt, but don’t quote me on that. The nose has a lot of pleasant light fruits like citrus and pear, a light floral note, malt, vanilla. The palate is sweet, juicy and creamy with more citrus (lemon), malt, vanilla, some salinity and a slight nuttiness. There is a slight spikiness, possibly from the youth, but it does not bother me at all. The finish is medium long, with an initial bite that quickly mellows into lingering citrus and vanilla. A very pleasant single malt. I would love to try one of the age stated older offerings to see how this one get with more time in the barrel.

Sweet, citrusy and light. This was my first bottle, recommended to me by a trusted friend as an introduction to the world of Scotch. I like to revisit it every now and then to see if my opinion has changed. As my first dram it was rough, whereas now I have gravitated towards the peated stuff, so this is smooth and easy drinking. A perfect bottle to introduce someone to Scotch, and a pleasant way to "tune" my palate before I move onto the more complex stuff during a drinking session.

Another solid Arran malt. This has many traits of the 10 year with rich fruity maltiness. Some salt and tangy wood notes add variety. Its a bit sharp though and finish is shorter. Still its very enjoyable with great mouthfeel and deep flavor. I would easily repurchase. Its funny Ive scored the 14,10 and this all close due to price adjustment. This is the lowest of them but also the most affordable if you want to see what Arran has to offer.......85/100

Au nez : sec et amer, fruits à coques, amandes, épices, chocolat au lait, terreux et légèrement floral, également une touche type cognac Au palais : salé et légèrement amer, fruits à coque, boisé, note médicinale La finale est moyenne, amer, métallique et manque de saveur Note personnelle : 82/100 Entrée de gamme NAS sympathique mais un manque de complexité notamment au palais. Cela étant dit, ce whisky est un très bon rapport qualité-prix