Month: October 2018

Whisky #540: The Arran 18 Year Old Single Malt

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The Arran 18 Year Old Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted on glorious Sydney Harbour, $199 (bottle).

Colour: Brassy gold.

Nose: It’s very light. Lemon tarts with freshly baked short crust pastry; pine needles and a faint whiff of hessian sacks. Swirling the glass agitates some of those typical Arran tropical fruit salad notes.

Palate: It’s like the flavours have wrapped a warm blanket around your tongue and are comforting you after another punishing week at the office. There’s a hint of cooked pineapple but then tobacco leaves and woody flavours come through.

Finish: A slightly salty, spicy and woody finish with a touch of black peppercorns.

Comments: What a finish to the week. A healthy dram of Arran, one of my favourite distilleries.

Given that Arran as a distillery was only founded in 1995, the Arran 18 Year Old Single Malt represents the oldest release in their core range. Personally, it’s not my favourite Arran or one that I feel particularly showcases their house style. The wood influence seems to overshadow the more delicate fresh tropical fruit notes evident in some of their other releases.

But it’s eminently drinkable and I’d gladly buy another bottle – I kinda like that it’s got a different personality and shows another side to one of my favourite producers.

Whisky #539: SMWS 4.244 Welcoming an Old Sea Dog

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SMWS 4.244 Welcoming an Old Sea Dog. 13 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling from Highland Park Distillery. Orkney Islands, Scotland. ABV: 57.6%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $185 (bottle).

When you’ve been on a fitness retreat for two weeks and you’re thirstier than a pirate at an open bar, you’d better make your first whisky an absolute banger. A cask strength, single cask Highland Park offering from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) ought to do it!

Colour: Lustrous pale gold.

Nose: Like tearing open a tin of smoked mussels. Hessian sacks soaked in seawater and left out on the jetty in the rain.

Palate: Salty edamame beans, citrus salty crystals. I’m not even sure that’s a thing, but it’s the best way to describe it. The whisky just crackles and pops in your mouth with a salty lemon tang.

Finish: A long salty woody tang. Like sucking for just a second too long on some wooden chopsticks after you’ve had a takeaway Chinese meal with just a little too much MSG. You just can’t help but want to come back and enjoy every last ounce of that rich salty zest.

Comments: I’ve enjoyed this one so much I had to refill the glass three times to complete the tasting. Enough said. Another cracking dram from the SMWS!