Arran 10 Year Old

The Arran 10 is matured in a mix of bourbon casks and a small portion of refill sherry casks, with the bourbon influence being dominant both in taste and color.

Pineapple, coconut, vanilla, a creamy nuttiness and citrus with a slight whiff of coastal heathery influence that pays tribute to its Island roots.

Arran 10 is a beautiful entry dram and offers a respectable quality for a fair price.
The previous "Look under the surface" review is correct and this gentleman explains it very well that there are beginners malts and there are these such as Arran 10.
Which are not overly complex but offer a bit more as an entry dram to seasoned scotch connoisseurs then your run off the mill 10 to 12 year old that are chill filtered thin and watered down to 40% ABV would.
This is not Glenfiddich 12 apple juice the Arran 10 is a robust whisky and even slightly challenges you when you spend time with it.
There are not many other scotch that pack so much good flavor in only €30-€40.

Bottled at 46% non chillfiltered and non colored Arran did not cut any corners with the Arran 10 and stays true to traditional craftsmanship.
Which is impressive for such a young distillery.
A minimum of 43% and non chill filtered keeps the body, flavors and aromas in tact much better.
Not bothering to artificially color your product for sly marketing purposes but presenting an honest and pure distillery character and product as close to what comes out of the casks as possible shows you care about the substance and traditions, not superficial marketing.

This is one of my favorite summer and session drams to start a tasting with or for a slightly uncomplicated fresh but rich and rounded sip.

Arran shows that a young distillery established only in 1995 can give ancient giants a run for their money.

9th August 2018

Isn't it curious how all these reviewers who say how malt X is not so good and malt Y is so much better, if you look closer they only care about smoothness. Well, if you want smooth, try Jameson or Crown or Dewar's ;) Some people even say that comics are an easier read than Crime and Punishment :D

There are beginner's malts and then there are others. That's not to say that "others" are always better. They are just more "difficult", less accessible and take a bit more experience to enjoy. And I don't mean that in a condescending way. 3 years ago I would probably hate Arran. I love it now. It's like a person who doesn't have the most agreeable personality, yet, once you get to know them, you find they have a lot to offer, an interesting person. Vs. someone who is polite and easy going, yet... that's about all. You know, Mark Twain vs. Ned Flanders or something like that ;)

I still enjoy Glenlivet and other similar mainstays, but I derive a lot more interest and engagement from malts like Arran 10. No, it's not my favorite. I rarely think in terms of "Malt A is better than Malt B". Instead I contrast their differences and pick a dram based on mood, weather, occasion, company, etc. I have yet to find a bad single malt.

12th June 2018

I backed into this bottle since I loved their Amarone Cask finish offering. I wanted to see what other expressions this distillery had to offer.

I find it to be a subtle, but very tasty dram with a nice proof point at 92. At 10 years old, I knew it was on the young side. But, for the price, I find this to be enjoyable when I'm exploring malts beyond the sherry and the smoke.

16th April 2018

Light fruity flavors. Sweet and a little thin. Tastes younger than 10 years. Very light gold color. Lacks depth or complexity but is a nice warm summer night dram rather than a beefy winter warmer

20th January 2018

Had this when the first came out ten years ago and was given a litre bottle for christmas 2017. It was every bit as good as it was the first time, great flavour neat and even better with a drop of spring water. A bargain!

16th January 2018

I thought the reviews were accurate, a little harsh to start, once 1 cube melted it was smoother, the big thing for me was the flavor profile was very thin, no depth

26th December 2017

Initial nose a little sharp, in keeping with 46% strength. First taste good but slightly harsh. Added about a teaspoon of water ( in a big double) and it was transformed. On the way to sweet but not at all cloying, rich and round in the mouth. And it kept improving. Yes.

8th December 2017

rich, deep. pears, complex fruitiness. malty, toffee. sherry.
wonderful dusty barrels.
80/20 bourbon/sherry, I believe.

splash of water, 25mins, it's chocolate heaven, auntie Mo.

one of the finest drams out there. and that's some price.

~ ~ Respect ~

9th October 2017

The best whisky ever tasted.
Bought on tour of distillery.

14th May 2017

Bought a bottle after a distillery tour and tasting. Tried most of the range and really enjoyed.
Light and herby on nosing with a green apple flavour. I have ordered more!!

27th November 2016

For the price, and the nose/favour which hits you with green apples and other sharp fruit, it's well worth it. Lovely.

20th September 2016

When I read these comments about Arran 10 yo, together with the fact that its unchillfiltered, Natural colour and 46 abv, there was no thought in my mind that This whisky could be bad. To be honest, it's not all bad, but defenitly not good as well, in my opinion. It is pretty sharp in the palate and has not much, not to day no, depth. I am really disappointed and worked my way through the bottle by using it for Irish Coffee!!! Which I never did with any whisky before. No more Arran stuff for me, until a future tasting convinces me of the good taste of other bottlings of Arran.

9th September 2016

Had to order this one special from my local shop here in Cali and it was worth the wait.Smells like straight caramel apples and tastes like honey,flowers, sweet oak,vanilla,caramel,green apples and pears and just a hint of sea air.This is gorgeous stuff really light and not smoky at all but a really pleasant dram nonetheless plus its 46% natural color and non chill filtered need I say more? If I want something smoky I have all kinds of Islay's and other peated single malt whisky to choose from who needs Johnnie walker anyways I'll take an Arran(which is an independant distillery and is not in JW). The Sugarbear

9th September 2016

Arran 10 is a sweet, dominant component of Johnnie Walker Black, minus the smoke. It's really, really good, but I miss the smoke/peat. And Johnnie Black is $20 cheaper.

14th July 2016

This is a new Single Malt for me and it tastes great. To me it has a fine Sherry taste. The only problem I see is that I can't get it at my local Pa. State Store!

15th May 2016

The Arran 10 held its own and I thought complemented the Ancnoc 12. I like to taste scotches side by side as I am new to this. It helps me discern the differences in the regions and in the different flavor profiles.
I found the Arran to be slightly sweet. You can pick up the honey flavour, but the best part was a little bit of bitterness on the back end. Taste like green apples. I enjoyed the complexity of this Scotch. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for beginners or for people that don't appreciate the subtle changes in taste, but it would be a nice find for others to try. Great value

12th April 2016

I agree with last speaker but I don't enjoy it as much as anon seems to do. In fact this is not what I'm looking for at all. The taste is boooring.

18th February 2016

From a neat pour there's not too much on the nose. Some tart green apples, green grass, salt, and a fresh baked yeast roll with butter and honey. The palate is sweet and oily with a continuation of the green apple notes. The finish is quick and somewhat dry, however I found it quite enjoyable overall. At first the aftertaste is somewhat 'sterile' and tart, but that quickly goes away with continued enjoyment. Wonderful little dram!

22nd February 2015

This malt is impressive in its relative complexity for its age. The nose is busy, spicy, honey, green apples, slight cinnamon. Taste wise, a bit more simple than the nose. Butterscotch, apples, the barley comes through. With an explicit mention of age, no color added, no chill filtration, 46% ABV, a true craft whisky.

22nd January 2015

First off this is of exeptional value! ! Wait and see aran malt jump in price once they get more established. Fruity nose kinda reminds me of a glenlivet but less... generic. This is a 10 year old so dont expect great complexity but this one is rather vibrant for a 10 year old! Gotta love the fact that there are no artificial colors and that it is un chillfiltered.. thus is where all scotch companys should invest in!! Support the small giys not the mega distilleries. . These guys are doing it the right way!

16th December 2014

Am not a big fan of Isle whiskeys. Gave Arran a chance and was pleasantly supprized. Not to smokey but does leave a taste. Very Nice. No match to the stronger peaty whiskeys like Ardbeg and the likes but a nice soft drop.

14th November 2014

I find to to be quite spicy in a way, although in a good way. Spicy, a kick in the mouth, and lingering sweet taste after you swallow it. Definitely has that malt taste, and quite an enjoyable smell. Not really an expert, but I enjoy this whisky.

2nd November 2014

Its really good, I totally recommend it, I'm no expert but I do enjoy whisky and in that field I can say this is a very nice whisky for the price.

3rd October 2014

My favorite whiskey so far. I prefer to drink it with "lots" of water.:) The taste is then mild and round.

27th September 2014

The best 10-year whisky in my opinion. Light nose, but great taste. A "must taste"

7th June 2014

Like this a lot, light color, nose does not tell all, vanilla dry light honest whisky from a beutiful island, will always come back to this 10 year old, well done Arran!

21st September 2013

Could sense that this could be good with a few more years in the cask as the whisky was well balanced, but a little rough around the edges, and a little on the 'spirity' side. Perhaps the 12 or 14 year old might be more to my liking

24th May 2012

I like this whiskey a lot, delicate, and aromatic. I can see why another reviewer gave it low marks and said 'it doesn't have much to it' - because it is very soft and light. I love it for contrast. It is a whiskey I will start an evening with, a long time before I hit the peated Islay malts!

10th December 2011

I love this whisky. Very aromatic with lots of grape on the nose. The flavour is rich and malty with fruit and licorice. A bit sharp, perhaps, but excellent overall.

3rd September 2011

(Fin)Kannattaa kokeilla.

7th July 2011

Sorry forgot to rate it

17th September 2010

Sweet character full character with what I can only say is an "ultra dry finish" definately a love it or hate it thing. I like variety and this one is interestingly different yet not overly so. Think "dry" Glengoyne or Aberlour.

17th September 2010

It might be to some people's taste, but it's not for me. It doesn't have much to it but doesn't seem to cope with the "alcohol" very well, in a sort of mouthwash-type way. There are better malts out there for the same money

7th March 2010