The following whiskies were all a bit weird, they were largely what I would call “conversation whiskies.” Probably not so much the sort of dram that you want to relax with, but exactly the kind of whisky you want to pour for someone else just to see their reactions and hear their thoughts.
Arran 8 Year (2015), SMWS 121.112 “The unexpected meander”
NOTES: Sweet and sugary, the aroma recalled candy cigarettes, powdered sugar donuts, cotton candy, and candied orange peel. More grassy sugars lingered further in with dandelions and clover, turning gradually more herbal with sage brown butter and brown sugar over time. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, the flavors featured a familiar sugar rush with cotton candy and powered sugar donuts. Maltier notions pushed in with cream of wheat cereal, citrusy oils, and then herbal notions of mint and sage, almost cough drops when the sugary elements carried through. The finish was medium-length and gentle with fruit and green grass.
SCORE: 6+ (79)
IMAGE: School Yard Fun Fair
THOUGHTS: I love a vivacious young malt and this was wonderfully spirited and varied across the aroma and palate. It was not terribly complex, but it felt refined and balanced considering the youthful vigor. On a typical quiet evening, this is the kind of whisky I often feel myself drawn toward.
Arran 9 Year (2015), SMWS 121.116 “A sensation of summer”
NOTES: Clean and candied, the aroma featured gum drops and Bounce laundry sheets as floral, fresh notes sat at the top. More Juicy Fruit gum and citrus lingered further in amongst a musty flower bed with wood chips, mulch, herbal mint, parsley, and jelly. Medium-bodied and syrupy on the palate, the whisky was spirited, peppery, and youthful. Plenty of gum drops, lemon drops, and peach rings appeared with a touch of li hing mui and White Rabbit candies. Peppery toward the end, musty flower beds and the herbal character of the aroma finally appeared. Medium-length, the finish featured fruity gummies and powered sugar.
SCORE: 6 (77)
IMAGE: Launderette Candy Dealer
THOUGHTS: Fresh and spirited, despite the extra time in the cask, this Arran felt simpler than its younger sibling. I enjoyed the interplay of fruits, herbs, and musty elements that appeared on the aroma, but the palate was rather spirited and a touch too simple. Those spirited elements calmed with a bit of water, but that only seemed to simplify the palate more and bring out an encroaching bitterness at the end. Overall, I found this primed for a few cubes of ice or some ginger soda.
Inchgower 16 Year (2008), SMWS 18.67 “Bloody beautiful!”
NOTES: Somewhere between a beachside tennis court and a bike path, the aroma was softly maritime with dried palm fronds and a kiss of pineapple. Rubber tennis grips, a touch of lamp oil, and an old bike with a freshly greased chain appeared with semi-sweet notions of olive oil cake and not-yet ripe strawberries. Medium-bodied on the palate, the whisky was spirited with an initial wave of pepper and brine that quickly faded so that melon rinds, grapefruit, orange, and bike chains appeared. The finish was medium-length with a touch of citrus and olive oil cake.
SCORE: 7 (83)
IMAGE: Ritz by the Sea
THOUGHTS: This was a wonderfully coastal Inchgower with a deliciously tropical edge to it. The whisky was a touch spirited on the palate, but that element should mellow out with time and air (par for the course for many SMWS drams). The elements here had a familiar quality, perhaps a bit like Cladach, the coastal blend Diageo released back in 2018. Inchgower was one of the components of that blend, and I feel like I have a better grasp of where it fit in among the other maritime (or vaguely near the sea) malts in that blend after trying this.
Whiskery Turnip 
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