The Arran Works Part 2


March 6, 2024

The Arran Works
Part 2

I realise that we were having a vast quantity of Arran in our stocks "to be tasted as soon as possible". We shall try to catch up... Fortunately, it's an excellent malt, so we should be able to manage.

Arran 22 yo 1996/2018 (49.2%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, UK, refill sherry hogshead, cask #18/023, 283 bottles)

This is well a cask strength bottling. Colour: gold. Nose: remember G&M buy new make and do their own fillings, which shows here as it's more on secondary aromas than the 1996s we tried yesterday, so more on fruit wines, liqueurs, walnuts, fig cake, roasted sesame, tobacco, back nougat, sweet stout and… strawberry cream and yoghurt. But this is ex-refill sherry indeed. Mouth: was it really refill sherry? It feels like first fill, really, with tonnes of walnuts and pecans, nocino, heavy marzipan, chocolate, cigars, more fig cake, pear cake, Christmas pudding, marmalade, an earthy side… Finish: long, rich, more on allspice and crazy fruitcakes. Fig jam. Comments: it's absolutely awesome, but I don't believe for a second that it's a refill. Let's make a bet, if I lose I owe them a beer, and if I win they owe me one of their Brora 1972. That's a fair deal, isn't it?
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Arran 'Barrel Reserve' (43%, OB, +/-2020)

Oops I agree we should have had this modest little NAS as an apéritif, but didn't we say 'randomly'? Colour: straw. Nose: barley syrup, brioche, crushed banana, Golden Grahams, popcorn, shortbread, overripe apples. That's all fine, but we know where the devil lives, don't we… Mouth: typical NAS. Same as Glenlivet's, Glenfiddich's, Macallan's and several others. A little rustic, gritty, indetermined, with some vanilla, touch of lemon, apples… There's certainly no need to attempt writing a fifty-page poem about it, that's for sure. Finish: medium, sweeter, barley-y. Comments: entry-level Arran. No age gives it away, as always. And the price, which is very cheap (29.95€ in the Netherlands).
SGP:441 - 79 points.

Arran 17 yo 2002/2020 (49.2%, The Whisky Agency, barrel, 185 bottles)

Angus liked this one a lot when it came out (WF 87). I for one am late as ever. Colour: straw. Nose: mango and peach juices, blended together, plus funny vegetables such as Brussels sprouts (sorry Carsten, but I like Brussels sprouts) and salsify. The thing is that it works. Some fermentary notes, fresh wine, wash, also bananas and ripe plums. Intriguing and lovely nose. Mouth: classic coffee-schnapps, with indeed some light coffee and notes of apricot/marillen eau-de-vie, almonds, guavas spirit… Has anyone ever been mad enough to try distilling guavas, by the way? Finish: rather long, this time with a salty touch. A bit more rustic at this point – but you could claim that Brussels sprouts ARE rustic. Comments: I didn't mention them but you could also find several other whacky eaux-de-vie, small berries, roots (turnips, celeriac, gentian)… As I said, it's an intriguing (high-level) Arran.
SGP:652 - 88 points.

Arran 23 yo 'Drumadoon Point' (49.5%, OB, The Explorers Series, sherry puncheon, 9000 bottles, 2021)

Was this one about explorers or was it about golf? Colour: full gold. Nose: it's full of butterscotch, white chocolate, acacia honey, moderately high-ranked Sauternes and orange cake. One of the easiest noses we've stumbled upon these weeks. Mouth: all gentleness, with honey and scones, pistachio and pecan syrups, halva, Jaffa cakes, a spoonful of pineapple chutney, a few raisins… Its reminding me of a very old Malaga wine I've tried pretty recently. And of nusswasser, as my German-speaking grandma Marie used to say (and make). It's true that Marie was born German, became French, became German again, then became French again, all that without ever leaving her little house here in Alsace. So, nusswasser it is! Finish: rather long, with some triple-sec adding to the nusswasser. Cappuccino and mocha as the signatures. Comments: I still have Marie's walnut tree; just imagine what it has witnessed over time. This was a great Arran too.
SGP:661 - 88 points.

Arran 24 yo 1996/2021 (53.4%, OB, exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, 273 bottles)

Angus liked this one too as it came out (WF 88). He's faster than me, but he's much younger. Anyway, apparently, no one ever knew about the kind of cask they've been using here, which I find very funny. Colour: come on, it's almost copper red. Nose: peonies first (Port?) then patchouli and cherry stems. A lot of mud too, not obligatorily a bad thing. With water: leather, ginger and allspice. Horse saddle. The cask stealing the show… Mouth (neat): a bit thick, almost cloying, too sweet and spicy in my book. As if someone had decided to make some pumpernickel liqueur. Some gunpowder and some muesli too, how decadent! With water: what a concoction. Leaves, cassis, buds… Finish: rather long, very leafy. Some strawberry jam, a little sulphur. Comments: not quite my thing, but it's true that there is the pressure from all the excellent Arrans that we have already tasted since the beginning of this maddish series. Including some brilliant ones for TWE!
SGP:551 - 84 points.

Shall we try a 1997?

Isle of Arran 24 yo 1997/2022 (51.6%, Vintage Bottlers, single sherry cask, 235 bottles)

Colour: opaque bronze/green/brown. Nose: a patched cask? Nails inside? Never mind, we've tried utter glories that were even uglier than this in your glass. This time we're finding chocolates and prunes, ganaches, some armagnac, indeed walnut cake, chocolate and marzipan (Mozart kugeln, love them), old PX, old copper, metal polish… At times you would believe this is old Dalmore. With water: majestic prunes and big black Turkish raisins (Smyrna/Izmir). Mouth (neat): very good, chocolaty and, well, Dalmore-y. I told you. Even the marmalade is there, as well as the old VORS from Jerez. With water: even better, it's an excellent swimmer. Touches of 'good' sulphur, tobacco, ashes, bitter chocolate, a touch of saffron, orange liqueur... Finish: same for a rather long time. Touch of mint as the signature. Comments: I sincerely doubt that anyone has intentionally tried to copy Dalmore here, but I find the end result truly excellent.
SGP:561 - 90 points.

BtoB? Back to bourbon?...

Arran 10 yo 2012/2023 (59.7%, OB, LMDW, New Vibrations, first fill bourbon, cask #2012/2270)

Every time I read the name that LMDW have chosen for their latest series, I can't help but think of the Beach Boys. It's surely done on purpose. Colour: light gold. Nose: immaculate distillate from some immaculate wood, nothing is overpowering; it's ultra-precise, with notes of apple, banana, fresh croissant, wildflower honey, and barley malt (coz you can malt other grains, even rice mind you). With water: Fruit Loops and dandelions. Mouth (neat): very sweet and ultra-fruity, it's almost as if we would have gulped down a family pack of crocodiles from the house Haribo. With water: syrups, sodas, juices and bonbons. It's ultra-sweet, you could almost call it Glen Haribo indeed. Hope I won' get a letter from the mighty SWA. Finish: rather long, very sweet. Comments: it's very good but quite basic, which isn't a fault at all in this context. I don't think it could be made any sweeter without adding any actual sugar, that said. It's not rum.
SGP:641 - 85 points.

Let's have another little peater and then call this a session…

Arran 8 yo 2011/2020 (54%, OB, LMDW French Connections, first-fill bourbon, cask #11/1844, 207 bottles)

In other words, some Machrie Moor. We remember well from fifteen or twenty years ago, when everyone in Scotchland wanted to make their own Ardbeg. In truth there is no wow in peat itself, as peat, but we already said that. Colour: light gold. Nose: nice enough. Fresh peat, apples, perhaps an oyster, but nothing wildly inspiring. Lagg anytime. With water: fair smoke and ashes. Mouth (neat): it's good, sweet, with some limoncello and some ashes. A little eucalyptus syrup. With water: and grapefruits. Finish: medium, citrusy, smoky, simple. Comments: Lagg anytime indeed. They don't do Pinot Noir in Bordeaux, and they don't do Cabernet in Burgundy. See what I mean?
SGP:545 - 80 points.

Oh while we're at it, in a kind of masochistic way…

Arran 'Machrie Moor Fourth Edition' (58.1%, OB, 10,800 bottles, 2017)

So, a miserable peated NAS from a few years ago. Seriously, even the bottle was ugly, to give nightmares to children. Colour: white wine. Nose: not that ugly after all, with some wine vinegar, beach bonfire, rainwater, flints and chalk… It's pretty okay, actually. With water: doughs and ashes. Nothing highly motivating to be honest. Mouth (neat): sweet, good, smoky, salty, elementary. With water: not too bad, just extraordinarily simple. Smoked apples. Finish: same. Eating cigarette stubs. Comments: 8-bit peated whisky. More than okay, just extremely uninspiring. But they may have an Ardbeg with Lagg…
SGP:356 - 78 points.

We'll be back – trying to avoid the deadliest peaters!

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