
March 23, 2016

An Arran run

No, I’m not too proud about that headline. Anyway, the new Arran 18 is out since one or two weeks, time to try it. And then we’ll hopefully find some proper sparring partners… (this session is for Harold Currie and for all our Belgian friends)

Arran 18 yo (46%, OB, 2016)

Last’s year’s 18 was a limited release, which I found nice but a little too sherried for the distillate’s clean, bright profile. This one’s the brand new, core-range bottling. Colour: gold. Nose: starts with many beers, from lagers to ales, before it becomes rather more mineral. Wet limestone, freshly squeezed orange juice, cider apples, some green tea, only a touch of vanilla, greengages, gooseberries… It’s really a bright orchardy Arran, rather au naturel as far as I can tell. Also notes of leaves and ‘young’ bark. Mouth: is it like what happens with many white wines, the minerality (and/or salinity) comes out after quite a few years of maturing. Indeed, beyond the rather creamy vanilla and tinned peaches, and beyond the few sultanas from the soft sherry, I’m finding a chalkiness that’s really to my liking. No notes of buds/stems/rubber this time, and little leafy sherry. Touches of lemon and grapefruit as well, all for the better. Finish: medium, clean and fresh, rather on lemon curd, tarte au citron, sweet vanilla, and overripe apples… Drops of Fanta. Comments: just excellent and much more to my liking than last year’s limited batch. SGP:551 - 86 points.

I guess another 18 would make sense…

Arran 18 yo 1996/2015 (50.5%, The Single Malts of Scotland, puncheon, cask #896928, 624 bottles) Arran 18 yo 1996/2015 (50.5%, The Single Malts of Scotland, puncheon, cask #896928, 624 bottles)

Arran 18 yo 1996/2015 (50.5%, The Single Malts of Scotland, puncheon, cask #896928, 624 bottles)

I guess it was a sherry puncheon. Colour: dark gold. Nose: no big sherry, but what’s there is appropriately tobacco-ish and leafy/leathery. Funnily enough, there’s the same kind of minerality as in the official 18 in the background. Other than that, we have walnuts in all their forms, as cake, as wine, au naturel, in a chicken soup… No, not in a chicken soup. With water: we recreated the OB! Mouth (neat): oh excellent! There are obvious similarities with the official, with the same beautifully zesty and even tart profile that dominates the sherry. Lemon curd again, pink grapefruits… With water: we recreated the OB again! Finish: perfect, with a little more bitter oranges this time. Balance is perfect. Comments: one more point for the extra-strength. Well deserved! SGP:551 - 87 points.

Arran 'Batch 4' (52%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, 1,270 bottles, 2014)

Another mysterious NAS combo by Master of Malt, bearing a rather Tintinesque label. Colour: straw. Nose: it’s grassier, more austere, rougher, and possibly younger Arran. Lemon juice, gin, beer, and sharp white wine (like they make in England, woo-hoo!) With water: some almonds. It’s simple, but balance has been achieved. Very pleasant. Mouth (neat): very grassy and zesty. Even more English white wine, with drops of sugar syrup. Some limoncello too. It’s a very sharp and ‘pointed’ Arran. With water: gets rounder. Artisan cider, grass, green apples, mandarins, barley. Un unexpected salty touch. Finish: medium, clean. Some rounder grassiness. Comments: not much to say – and certainly nothing bad. So, it’s very good. SGP:451 - 84 points.

Check the index of all Arran I've tasted so far