Much more Arran third part


March 7, 2024

Much more Arran (third part)

Arran

Arran 14 yo 1996/2010 (46%, Mo Or Collection, bourbon hogshead, cask #96/868, 475 bottles)

Example photograph. An extraordinary series that was offered about fifteen years ago, featuring whiskies from nearly all malt distilleries, with hardly any exceptions. We had tasted many, and here is one of the last editions we had yet to try until now. It's an opportunity to taste a young Arran from the early days of the distillery. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: it's quite lovely, very natural. Almost entirely on wet chalk, then on porridge and cider apple. It is rare to find so much chalk in a whisky. Mouth: similar but a bit wilder, herbaceous, fermentative, almost a bit challenging. A mineral taste that slightly reminds one of the 'taste of glass'. Finish: long, a bit sharp, still very chalky. Lemon liqueur in the aftertaste. Comments: a very pretty nose, but it's slightly spoiled on the palate. We shall assign a balanced score.
SGP:361 - 80 points.

Come on, let's quickly get rid of the next one...

Arran 'Machrie Moor Eighth Edition' (46%, OB, 18,300 bottles, 2017)

The cask strength version was rather disappointing last time (WF 78). Obviously young as they first distilled this variant in 2010. Colour: white wine. Nose: apple juice and chimney smoke somewhat disjointed. It's not too bad, it's just of a biblical simplicity. And yet, it is probably not a malt to be religiously savoured (well done, S.!). Mouth: a chalky aspect, concentrated lemon juice, a lot of cigarette or cigar ash, green apple, grey pepper. Finish: quite long, but harsh again, with a smoke that is quite light at this stage, but rather herbaceous. Comments: maybe slightly better than the cask strength version, but quite largely non-essential.
SGP:356 - 79 points.

Arran 10 yo 2011/2021 (55.1%, Thompson Bros. For Isihara Family, 1st fill oloroso sherry hogshead, 334 bottles)

Colour: dark gold. Nose: pretty unusual, starting with some cedarwood, humidor, pine smoke, then dried parsley and barbecued herbs, especially rosemary, then the expected walnuts from the sherry. Some dried meat. With water: more pine wood, thuja, spruce… Mouth (neat): very rich, with even more cedarwood, heavy zests, horseradish, bitter walnuts… With water: it's tough not to think of some Japanness. Umami, miso, radishes, even more cedar… Finish: really long, resinous in a good way. Bitter oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: high-action wood-drive, Arran that almost feels like some new-wave American malt. Which, naturally, we enjoy.
SGP:472 - 87 points.

Arran 21 yo 1996/2018 (52%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, refill barrel, cask #DL 12357, 544 bottles)

544 bottles, that was probably more like two barrels. Colour: straw. Nose: we're finding this pine-resin quality again, plus fir honey, a little plasticine, then lemon curd and a little basil. Gresini. With water: vodka over lemon sherbet. Really. Mouth (neat): creamy, limoncello-y, with some green peppercorns too. Something Thai with that basil. With water: more zests, some earthiness, something of Bladnoch. Finish: long but a tad less high-def. Doughs and breads chiming in. Limoncello again in the aftertaste. Comments: clean, citrusy, fresh, a little 'Lowland'. Nothing wrong with that.
SGP:651 - 85 points.

Arran 24 yo 1996/2021 (49.5%, OB, exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, cask #752)

Colour: copper amber. Nose: we're on an old cream sherry, in the style of a ceremoniously served VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry). Delightful chocolate, raspberry liqueur, pumpernickel, also a Malaga wine rather than Jerez, strong and powerful honeys (fir, chestnut), prunes… All of this operates smoothly. Mouth: I find it far superior to its sibling from the same year (53.4%), more elegant despite an exuberant side, and especially without any gunpowder. Red fruit tart covered in chocolate, cherries in brandy, orange cordial… Finish: long and remaining curiously balanced and even fresh, despite the very dominant cask. Lovely grey and black peppers. Comments: I find it excellent, even if it doesn't indulge in too much finesse.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Arran 25 yo 1996/2022 (51,5%, OB for LMDW, Antipodes, sherry hogshead, cask #1996/892, 240 bottles)

Colour: copper amber. Nose: much more chocolate and rather less fruitiness in this one. Brownie, walnut liqueur, roasted chestnuts, chocolate truffles… With water: more meat sauce, gravies, a little lovage, a little beeswax too. It stays balanced. Mouth (neat: rounder and a little fruitier, jammier for sure, at time you would believe this is folle blanche from armagnac. Prunes, Corinth currants, a little caraway, roasted sesame seeds, stewed peaches and damson plums… With water: gets a tad gritty and green, leafier, with mint leaves, bay leaf, grape skins… Still very good. Finish: rather long, with more tannicity, teas, fruit peel, black Assam (but of course). Walnut wine in the aftertaste. Comments: another high-quality Arran, a bit more astringent than the previous one.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Isle of Arran 1996/2017 (53.8%, Malts of Scotland, MOS Warehouseshop, refill sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 17043 172 bottles)

Hope they'll be in Limburg! Colour: straw. Nose: cakes, doughs and, above all, roasted nuts of all kinds. This will be quick. With water: focaccia, lemon oils, lemongrass, fresh baguette or, there, pizza dough. Mouth (neat): excellent, dry raisins, marmalade, pistachio syrup, Szechuan pepper, pineapples… With water: more ashes, it's as if the little hogshead had previously sheltered a peater. No? Whatever happened, that worked. Finish: medium, nuttier. Some lapsang souchong and, indeed, a little peat. I'm sure they were not doing peat yet, back in 1996. Comments: intriguing and excellent.
SGP:562 - 88 points.

BtoB. Remember, that's back to bourbon…

Arran 20 yo 2001/2021 (55.5%, OB for Billy's Whisky Barrel and Oldies & Goldies, Belgium, bourbon, cask #2001/010, 147 bottles)

You may have noticed that on most of the official Arran bottles, there's braille with raised dots (S., that's how braille works), an idea that no doubt comes from what Chapoutier has been doing in the Rhône valley for many years. Except I think that Arran whiskies are better, and a little less pretentious, than Chapoutier's wines. This with a thought for Valentino Zagatti. Colour: straw. Nose: nothing to say, except that it's a perfect bourbon cask. Banana, baguette, vanilla, lemon, and mango. With water: more bread dough and lemon cake. Mouth (neat): splendid barley sugar and limoncello. It's simple and it's beautiful, it's like Pink Floyd. With water: little precious liqueurs come to the fore, all remaining astonishingly easy. Finish: long, creamy, and lemony. Comments: one wonders to what extent these ultra-drinkable single casks should come with a warning on the bottle. Something like "always replace the cap on the bottle after use". Wonderful little Arran.
SGP:641 - 90 points.

Isle of Arran 20 yo 1996/2017 (51.4%, Caora, bourbon hogshead, Caora N°2, cask #916, 239 bottles)

The Caora labels can't really be called 'baroque', can they? Colour: straw. Nose: it's far more austere, without actually being austere (I understand what I mean), leaning more towards fresh or dried herbs, hay, barley, wheat bran... We quite like that as well. With water: a nice freshness reminiscent of Rosebank. Mouth (neat): there's a greater presence of citrus on the palate, approaching the 2001 by the Flying Belgians (S., usually it's the Dutchmen that are flying). With water: ah, also very good, but without the immaculate and evident side of the Belgian Arran. Finish: long, between green pepper, apple peel, and lemon liqueur. Comments: nothing to criticise, it's very, very good.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

I believe there's going to be a fourth Arran day, apparently the stocks are bottomless...

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