Arran Smugglers' Series Volume One - The Illicit Stills Whisky

10 stars to even out the lower reviews (I'd give this an 8).
No idea why people moan about the price, I picked this up for under 100 quid.
The whisky its self, despite being lightly peated, is very characteristic of the distilleries style. Fruity with notes of fresh cut hay, flowers, honey and light spice. The light smoke brings an interesting twist to the whisky, combining well with the iodine and umami tones.

An immature diamond in the rough, changes at every taste without ever fully asserting itself

I'm a whisky drinker first and foremost, but I do collect a little on the side. This is aimed entirely at collectors, but doesnt really do it for either market. If you drink the whisky, the packaging becomes worthless, while the whisky itself doesn't have enough of a usp to warrant the price tag. As either a collector or a drinker I might have been tempted if the whisky was from aged stock (tying nicely to the theme of the packaging). But then, it sold out in a ridiculously fast time...so what do I know?!

I tasted this at a whisky festival, and I must say, I'm not too impressed by Arran. This particular expression is a symbol of what's wrong with contemporary whisky. Non age statement (and id does have a young feel to it), heavy branding and expensive looking packaging, and simply put just not worth the penny.
It's not a bad whisky, it's not exceptional either, but the cost is indeed exceptional. This is a shame that a distillery such as Arran, who in my humble opinion is doing a wonderful job with most of their bottlings, would stoop to this. These types of bottlings should be avoided.