Arran Archives - Whisky a Day

Whisky #564: The Arran Sauternes Cask Finish Single Malt

January 25, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Arran Sauternes Cask Finish Single Malt. ABV: 50%. Isle of Arran, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $100 (bottle).

Stop the deadly spread of Coronavirus…don’t drink Corona, drink whisky instead! And tonight it’s an absolute banger, an Arran malt finished in ex Sauternes casks.

Bottle kill week continues unabated here at Whisky a Day, there has been much whisky spilt. Time to quarantine another bottle.

Colour: Rich shiny gold.

Nose: There’s some dry cocoa or hot chocolate dustiness that lays over the usual Arran house style of tropical fruits. Smoked caramel on hot banana bread.

Palate: Toasted malt, dried mandarin peel and a salty/sweet balance that is like sucking on an orange Fruit Tingle lolly.

Finish: A long warm tingle on the front of the tongue and lips. The sweet tanginess of boiled lemon sherbet sweets lingers long.

Comments: It’s Arran, but not as you know it. Arran are one of my favourite distilleries as long time followers may recall, but this is a different yet still comfortable beast. A fantastic drop.

Whisky and Seafood – Whisky #513 & Whisky #514…Glenfarclas, Arran, King Crab and Lobster

December 28, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Whisky and Seafood – Whisky #513 & Whisky #514…Glenfarclas, Arran, King Crab and Lobster.

Whisky and seafood, two of my great passions. I’ve enjoyed many whiskies, but I’ve not enjoyed reviewing too many more than today’s lineup.

Today’s seafood – fresh WA Rock Lobster and king crab legs from the Sydney Fish Market. The king crab legs are so tender, juicy and salty; while the rock lobster is firmer with very creamy flesh but a more subtle shellfish flavour.

Full-flavoured seafood deserves full-flavoured whisky. So let’s dive in to a couple of contrasting drams…a sherry influenced Glenfarclas and a creamy, tropical fruit malt from Arran.

Whisky #513: Glenfarclas 10 Year Old Single Malt Bottled at 50% Exclusively for The Whisky Club. ABV: 50.0%. $130 (bottle).

Colour: Deep caramel.

Nose: An initial nose prickle when you first pour it in the glass. After it settles there’s dried raisins and strawberry marshmallows.

Palate: Almost a bit tannic, like some red wine finished whiskies. Golden syrup and burnt butter with caramel.

Finish: Dry, spicy and a slightly briny aftertaste.

Seafood combination: The Glenfarclas is better with the king crab, which softens the tannins and accentuates the sweetness of the whisky. Brings out some fresh raspberry notes too.

Whisky #514: Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask Single Malt (Batch 2). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 55.2%. $135 (bottle).

Colour: Bright orange gold.

Nose: Like sticking a pine needle up your nose – it’s fresh and green, tickles a little and makes you pull away initially before heading back for more. Fresh lemon, kafir lime leaves, BBQ’d pineapple slices, and top-notch vanilla ice cream. None of that generic reduced fat, bleached white bulshit you buy from a cheap supermarket – this is the full cream, full-flavoured stuff where you can see the real vanilla beans swirled through the real deal cream coloured frosty goodness.

Palate: Loads of caramelised pineapple, honey, vanilla, and soft fresh oak.

Finish: Creamy, oh so creamy. Zesty lemon sherbet. Fresh prawns on freshly baked white bread you’ve picked up from the bakery that morning. Lemon cheesecake with a crumbled ginger nut cookie pastry. Sweet ginger spiciness.

Seafood combination: With the lobster, the lemon sherbet and fresh oak shine through. The king crab brings brown sugar, buttery croissants and juicy pineapple to the fore.

Overall comments: As a whisky, the Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask leaves the Glenfarclas in the shade. Combined with seafood though and they both allow some flavours to be accentuated and others to emerge. But overall, the Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask is an amazing dram that marries stunningly with fresh seafood like king crab or lobster. Outstanding stuff.

Whisky #489: North Star Arran 20 Year Old Single Malt

August 19, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by North Star Arran 20 Year Old Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 51.9%. Tasted at home, $251 (bottle).

Colour: Brilliant topaz.

Nose: Freshly sawn timber, pine needles and freshly baked lemon tarts dusted with icing sugar. All very light and delicate though, there’s nothing too overpowering…just a subtle invitation to take a sip.

Palate: Burnt orange marmalade on a fresh croissant…all tart, citrusy, buttery and very moreish. Quite malty too, much more so than most Arran expressions I’ve had before.

Finish: Like biting into some orange and lemon fruit pastilles – juicy, chewy and lots of sweet citrus flavours. A light peppery finish too.

Comments: North Star are a relatively new player in the independent bottler game. Bottled at cask strength and drawn from a single cask, this 20 year old Arran was distilled in August 1996. Given the Arran Distillery only opened in 1995 this is one of the oldest expressions of Arran malt that you’re likely to find.

It’s much maltier and a different kind of fruitiness to most other Arran malts…more citrus than tropical fruits. Recommended, though for the price it’s not exactly a daily drinker.

Whisky #444: The Arran Malt 14 Year Old Single Malt

December 13, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by The Arran Malt 14 Year Old Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $110 (bottle).

Colour: Bright straw.

Nose: Lemon cheesecake, fresh sawdust on a workshop floor.

Palate: Tangy savoury notes; think lemon crossed with salt & vinegar chips (or crisps for you Brits). Quite a dry mouthfeel.

Finish: A salty finish, woody notes, a slight bitterness in the fade.

Comments: It’s quite a decent dram, but not up there with Arran’s usually high standards. I’m a big Arran fan as many long time readers may know, but this didn’t really excite me.

Despite an extra two years’ maturation, I didn’t find this one as enjoyable as the The Arran Malt 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt (Batch 5). Yes it’s a lower ABV (46% versus 52.9% for the 12 Year Old Cask Strength), but it’s just not as fruit driven or smooth, or just quite as “Arrany”. Still eminently enjoyable, but my preference is definitely the 12 year old expression.

Whisky #436: The Arran Malt Single Cask No.547 Single Malt 2013 Autumn Release

October 29, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by The Arran Malt Single Cask No.547 Single Malt 2013 Autumn Release (Vintage 1996). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 52.4%. Tasted at The Stables Bar, Randwick Racecourse, $30.

Colour: A deep, murky, lustrous amber.

Nose: Like sticking your nose nose into a fresh bunch of flowers. Light, floral and fruity. Typical Arran.

Palate: Smooth; the mouthfeel is like having an ice cube or a cool marble on your tongue. Sweet lemon biscuit & fresh ginger notes. It definitely seems lower and smoother than the 52.4% ABV suggests.

Finish: Fresh oaky fade with some sweet creaminess – think sucking on a Paddle Pop stick after you’ve polished off the ice cream.

Comments: I’d been at the races with friends and after polishing off a heap of champagne, beer, shiraz and an espresso for good measure, I decided it was time for a whisky as clearly by that point I’d not had enough booze. They’ve got quite a decent range at The Stables, so as one of my favourite distilleries I chose this single cask Arran.

This was a week ago; I’d forgotten about the tasting and I happened to stumble across my tasting notes and thought I’d better get around to posting. Given all this, I was mildly surprised at the state of my notes given the state of the day’s consumption!

I think I might have to try it again given the review above!

Whisky #418 – Berrys’ 1997 Arran 17 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 1)

August 10, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Berrys’ 1997 Arran 17 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 1). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, no idea how much I paid…a jet lag impulse purchase when coming through Dubai airport. Not too outrageous if I recall correctly, maybe around $100.

Colour: Olympic gold.

Nose: Light and delicate; pineapple, freshly lacquered timber furniture. Cereal notes too – like sticking your nose into a new box of muesli, some oats along with some light fruity notes.

Palate: A very crisp entry with a light touch on the palate. It feels like it effortlessly glides over your tongue, teasing you with some sweet lemon sherbet and tangy passionfruit notes.

Finish: Medium length with a light salty lemon tang, followed by some honey and white pepper notes to finish.

Comments: I picked up this bottle as I’m a huge fan of Arran whiskies and I thought I’d not tried a Berrys’ bottling of Arran before. As it turns out, quite some time ago with Whisky #284 I had tried a very similar bottling, the Berrys’ 1997 Arran 16 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 2). The night in question where I tried Whisky #284 turned out to be a rather large one at Whisky & Alement whilst visiting one of my best mates AB in Melbourne, so it’s not a surprise my memory was a little sketchy.

Despite this expression having one more year’s maturation, the brief tasting notes we made that night seem to suggest some similarities between the two releases, hardly surprising given both releases had similar barrel maturations…transferred from bourbon casks to ex Marsala casks during the latter stages of their life in the warehouse.

A nice easy drinking drop that allows some of the Arran house style to shine through whilst also offering something different to the distillery bottled releases.

Whisky #284: Berrys’ 1997 Arran 16 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 2)

November 7, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

by Berrys’ 1997 Arran 16 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 2). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 46.0%. Tasted at Whisky and Alement (Melbourne).

Colour: Cloudy apple. Lacking viscosity according to my good mate AB who is ably assisting tonight’s tastin

Nose: Honied straw, a touch of lemon rind.

Palate: Honey, sweet lemongrass. “A little passive aggressive” from AB.

Finish: Medium length, dryish.

Comments: A good starting whisky, a palate cleanser before getting into the serious business of…um, drinking more whisky.

Whisky #233 – The Arran Moscatel De Setubal Wine Cask Single Malt

September 16, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by The Arran Moscatel De Setubal Wine Cask Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 55%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

Colour: Deep, deep copper.

Nose: Intense. Oak, orange peel, butter and molasses.

Palate: Again some very complex and intense flavours. Absolutely delicious – rich fruit, primarily plums. Syrupy sweetness at the front of the palate, yet quickly outmanoeuvred by some intense spice and heat.

Finish: Very long; flavours and warmth keep building before eventually dropping away.

Comments: Wow. Cask strength, eight years in oak then 10 months extra maturation in barrels that had previously held Moscatel de Setubal Portugese dessert wine. Love it – another deliciously complex malt from Arran, the kind of whisky where you keep uncovering more layers with each sip.

Whisky #230 – The Arran Malt Sleeping Warrior Single Malt

September 13, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by The Arran Malt Sleeping Warrior Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 54.9%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Plenty of oak and some dry sherry notes.

Palate: Sherry abounds, but it’s not an overly sweet syrupy sherry taste. Oily warming mouthfeel, very rich intense flavours. Salted caramel and spice.

Finish: Dries quite quickly at the front of the palate, but the back of the palate there’s still some rich sherry flavours hanging out, just doing their thing. Long finish, gradual fade.

Comments: Collectively, the malts from Arran really have been one of the finds of the year for me. The Sleeping Warrior was vatted from a combination of whisky matured in ex sherry, bourbon and red wine casks. It’s probably not my favourite Arran I’ve had thus far, but geez it’s a top drop.

Whisky #205 – Arran Millennium Casks Limited Edition Cask Strength Single Malt

August 23, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Arran Millennium Casks Limited Edition Cask Strength Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 53.50%. Tasted at home, $199 (bottle).

Colour: Golden apple juice colour.

Nose: A bit of a prickle, some buttery toffee and citrus notes. Actually it’s a little reminiscent of when you open up a packet of Butter Menthols.

Palate: Very rich. Tart raspberries, quite meaty too – not overly smokey, but has some beautiful flavours like a big juicy barbecued steak. Amazing stuff.

Finish: Very long; lots of warmth that fills the front half of the mouth in particular.

Comments: I’m loving the Arran whiskies I’ve tried so far this year, it really is a distillery that is fast becoming one of my favourites. I hadn’t tried any Arrans prior to starting Whisky a Day, but now I’m actively seeking them out as they are so rich, flavoursome and damn sexy. Wow.

Whisky #176 – Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice Arran 1999 Single Malt

July 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice Arran 1999 Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home.

Colour: Very light straw.

Nose: Quite light; some gentle oak and toffee.

Palate: Absolutely delicious. Soft toasted woody notes, with just the right balance of sweetness.

Finish: Warmth gradually builds around the mouth, while the final sensation is your lips tingling. Toasted toffee flavours have medium length, while the warmth is much longer.

Comments: Wow. I’m really enjoying some of the Arran malts this year. It’s a distillery I had never tried before the Whisky a Day caper led me to give it a go. I purchased this bottle online having never tried it before – my theory was that I’ve really enjoyed all the Arran malts I’ve had so far, why not try an Arran released by an independent bottler? I can safely say this Gordon & Macphail release is amazing, I will definitely be buying another bottle of it when this one is done!

Whisky #102 – The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask

June 21, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask (cask #990). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 56.4%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 – another birthday beverage from Brett & Gordy.

Colour: Deep sherry copper colour.

Nose: Dried muscatelles; sweet muscat-like scents. Also a bit earthy.

Palate & finish: Yet again I have been thwarted by Brett, Gordy and this leaky whisky glass. In the name of research, I shall have to revisit this dram. As a scientist though, a repeated measures test design is the only methodology that is suitable here…

Comments: The nose was very complex, much more interesting than the other drams we’ve tasted tonight. Helvetica bar manager Jason reliably informs me it was a 1996 distillation which was specially made for 2012 Tokyo bar show.

Whisky #54: The Arran Cask Finishes Amarone Cask Finish Single Malt

March 14, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by The Arran Cask Finishes Amarone Cask Finish Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 50.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $23.

Colour: A deep sherry-like colour.

Nose: Chocolatey scents. Also smells like a bunch of dried muscatelles.

Palate: Much more complex than the Sullivan’s Cove Double Wood. Bit more heat and plenty of spice; juicy.

Finish: Long tingle at the front of the tongue, warmth through the back.

Comments: I would like more time to chew on this one some more. Definitely the kind of whisky that takes more than one dram to fully appreciate. Will be back for more in the not too distant future!