Arran Cask Strength 12 Year Batch 3

Stopping point twenty-seven on the SDT is The Isle of Arran. This distillery is in the Islands region. This expression of the 12 year cask strength is Batch #4, bottled in September of 2014 with an ABV of 54.1%. It has a natural amber gold color and is non chill filtered. Initially, the nose presents an alcohol sting, which is expected from cask strength. It settles to reveal warm citrus and orchard fruits. Apricots, pears, oranges, tangerines. There are also darker sherried fruits like raisins, dates, and sweet syrup. Rich oak spices are present, with cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. More sweetness emerges with brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, and a light maltiness. Curiously, I detected peanut shells and a bit of earthiness, possibly indicating light peat. Near the bottom of the glass, a sweet cotton candy note appeared, similar to a bourbon. Uncovering flavors in a cask strength whisky requires time and patience, but it's a rewarding challenge. The palate begins with a pleasant peppery kick. Orchard fruits, primarily apricots, tangerines, and plums. Some oak with cinnamon and brown sugar. The heat made it difficult to discern much else. A full-bodied mouthfeel. Oily, mouthwatering, and a little hot, but not excessively so. The finish is long, spicy yet sweet, like sherried peppers if such a thing existed. This is an excellent cask strength scotch. Compared to the Springbank 12 year CS and the Glendronach CS, it is much more forgiving and simpler to identify flavors. Still, it reminds you that it is also cask strength. There is no significant peat/smoke, which I associate with Island distilleries. This is my first from Arran, and it was good. I imagine their standard bottlings would offer a more conventional Highland profile. A solid 4. Thanks to a friend for the sample. Cheers

This Arran isn't the first scotch that comes to mind for Island whiskies. How much smoke is in this one (it must have peat, correct?), and how briny is it? This Arran is bottled at cask strength and is presented as non-chill filtered with natural color. A sniff of this mainly offers dried apricots, oranges, and hazelnuts. Even after letting it sit, I couldn't detect much else. The initial impression is delicate and faint, lacking depth. With such a minimal introduction from the nose, the question arises: will the palate be just as weak? A body of medium density delivers more than the aroma did. The sherry's influence of baking spices and nuts forms the main flavors. Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and walnuts are present. After several more sips, dates and baker's chocolate become apparent. The bourbon's impact is also noticeable through dark brown sugar and vanilla notes, though not prominently. The interaction between these two barrel influences is effective. The finish has a slight orange bitterness/zest with drying wood and ground cinnamon. A profound, warming spirit. Adding a generous amount of water creates an excellent scotch mist. It also diminishes the bitterness, allowing the sweeter aspects of the dram to emerge. Much improved. For a cask strength spirit, this is surprisingly mild. There's a burn, but it's manageable. A gentle, sweet, simple nose and a nutty, spicy, somewhat flavorful palate present a contrast between the two senses. This is ideal on a cool autumn evening, with Thanksgiving spices warming you from the inside out. [Dry Glass: Toasted Marshmallows][$65][87/100][Tasted: 8/19/17]

It has been a while since I reviewed a single malt from an island region. Thanks to the group from our distillery visit, I was given this cask strength from the Isle of Arran. This is the 12 year old expression and was kindly provided by a friend. This is the 4th batch of this specific vintage, released in 2014, and comes in at a substantial 54.1% ABV. I have allowed this to rest and have swirled it occasionally for over 30 minutes. I am attempting to let the intense alcohol vapors dissipate so I can discern if there is anything more profound detectable on the nose. I detect hints of citrus and a pleasant, strong aroma of vanilla. Inhaling deeply only results in the painful burn of this powerful spirit. The palate is invigorating and zesty at first, then gives way to the vanilla and sherry sweetness that emerges midway through the sip. Those same flavors persist through the long and warming finish. There is no peat, no smoke, and I don't really detect anything characteristic of the islands. It has a slightly oily texture and a distinctly woody sensation remains after the burn finally subsides. It is a thoroughly enjoyable malt. I believe this retails for around $60 a bottle, which is a great value for what is offered. It has ample flavor, plenty of impact, and you might need plenty of pain relievers the next morning if you consume a lot of it. Thanks to my friend for offering this one up, as I have never encountered it in Virginia. This would be an excellent choice for an after-dinner drink on a cool, autumn evening. It will provide a nice warmth while easily taking the edge off. Rated 4.25 stars. Cheers.

This was quite a surprise. As a member of our Scottish distillery exchange group, a friend shared this sample. To be honest, I was unaware of Arran... However, I was remarkably pleased with it. If you enjoy Talisker 10 but desire something a bit gentler, this is ideal for you. It's sweet and briny, but not excessively so... reminiscent of cotton candy lightly touched by salt. My wife has warned she'll leave me if I acquire another bottle, or else it would be on my buy list. (I possess over 300 bottles accumulated across 15 years... yet I consume less than one bottle every six months... the consumption to acquisition ratio is severely unbalanced). Thanks to my friend for this! Hey Paul---I have just one remaining before I finish the second round. What's your status?

4th batch. The nose is quite strong with alcohol, making it challenging to detect the various aromas, but at first glance, it presents as boldly sweet with some fruitiness. The initial taste is sharp, but quite pleasing, honestly. However, the finish is disappointing. It's clearly a whisky that would benefit from a drop or two of water. After adding some water, notes of cloves and figs emerge on the nose. The initial taste is less sharp now, but the alcohol is still noticeable (perhaps I should have added more water, but I will stop here regardless). There is a lot happening in the taste, very sweet upon entry and developing further with citrus notes. The finish is now lengthy, unchanging, and warm. A pleasant whisky, not outstanding, but pleasant.

This is fantastic. I was already a follower of the 10 year old. This is how Scotch should be. It lacks heavy smoke or the raisin sweetness from sherry. The beautiful tastes of malt with honey, shortbread, and nuts are prominent without being masked. My bottle is over 106 proof, yet it's as smooth as most 80 proofs. The conclusion is extended and fulfilling. I must have this shipped from a state over a thousand miles away—it's worth the effort.