Officially launched in 2006, this 10 year old lies at the heart of the Isle of Arran range and exudes all the honeyed richness we have come to associate with the island distillery.
Herbal, biscuity, hedgerow greenness and dried grass, like a long English summer's afternoon.
Sweet. Quite malty, digestive biscuits, followed by green fruits and Cox's apple peel.
Slightly bitter, maltiness.
Exceptional
Hmm nice, I’d have this again. Soft, Smooth and pleasant
I asked for a not-sweet clean tasting whisky and got this and it's exactly that. It's quite low-key but gets better as you drink it.
It is in No Way a Bad Scotch. It is quite pleasing, however, it is underwhelming and not enough richness to stand out on the shelf, or even be memorable. It tastes a little bit like a middle of the road Glenlivet 12 or Glenfiddich 12. Which is fine, but it doesnt pop.
This distillery and its associated flagship malt is getting a lot of traction due to a certain famous whisky youtuber selecting it as his 'Whisky of the Year 2021'. Deservedly so in my opinion as there is a lot to like about Arran and this bottle of 10 year old single malt. Great presentation in its re-styled livery boldly proclaiming its Natural Colour and Non-chill Filtered composition. The nose is delightful, all vanilla biscuit and warmth. The taste is fairly unique. Along with the above you got this pronounced tropical coconut taste which might not appeal to everyone but its firmly there. The finish adds a bit of ginger and spice from the oak. Whilst this is an 'Island' malt there is no peat used here and there is very little saline feel which characterises other island whiskies. You have here a more hybrid highland (spice, oak, vanilla)/Lowland (tropical fruit, coconut) style. All in all you are getting a bargain at under £40. A real solid choice for your whisky cabinet. I for one would like to see this in more pubs and bars instead of the usual suspects!
