Sauternes finish

Whisky #564: The Arran Sauternes Cask Finish Single Malt

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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 #403: Tullibardine 225 Sauternes Finish Single Malt

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherimg_6515.jpgTullibardine 225 Sauternes Finish Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home, $100 (bottle).

Colour: Deep gold.

Nose: Cooked mash, a hint of honey.

Palate: Rich tangy honey; not as sweet as you might expect, almost a bit of salty citrus, reserved lemon.

Finish: A medium length finish with salty cereal notes in the fade. A touch of cracked black pepper spice too.

Comments: I was intrigued to try a whisky from Tullibardine, a small distillery that produced its first spirit back in 1949 but was closed from 1995 to 2003. After changing hands a few times, it’s now producing a small range of whiskies, most of which aren’t available in Australia.

With this expression having a Sauternes finish I had envisaged there to be more sweet notes on the palate, similar to say a Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or. It’s more savoury and citrusy than expected, a solid and very easy-drinking whisky but not a world beater.