Whisky : Arran 22 Year; Cadenhead’s “Authentic Collection”

Country/Region : Scotland/Islands

ABV : 49.6%

Cask : Ex-Bourbon Hogshead

Age : 22 Years (Distilled 1996, Bottled Feb. 2019)

Nose :  The tropical and fruity the aroma reminds me strongly of pandan or a hard guava candy.  Slightly overripe pineapple and woody coconut husk gradually distinguish themselves.  Musty grape skins and an underlying earthiness adds complexity to the fruit.  The wife found it altogether less tropical and more bourbon barrel aged maple syrup.

Palate :  Earthy fruit comes through strongly: golden milk, turmeric, and tamarind pods.  The tropical fruit is vaguely pineapple, but generally nondescript, the wife thought it more in line with a crispy green apple.  The dram has an excellent creamy viscous mouthfeel.  Toward the end cream notes emerge— more lotion than butter— along with coconut, which furthers the impression of lotion.

Finish :  Medium length sweet tropical fruits and florals.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Beachside Coconut Vendor.

Something Better : Bowmore 21 Year; HL’s OMC (similar tropical fruit/citrus, more bbq/spice/cake)

Something Similar : Port Dundas 28Y; DL’s OP (similar earthy turmeric sweetness/cream, more berries)

Something Worse : Glen Elgin 10 Year SMWS 85.49 (similar pineapple/tropical, more astringent/less complex)

Notes :  I adore Arran so I liked this far more than my wife.  I love the mix of fruit and earth notes that Arran often has in spades.  This one was especially fruit forward with loads of exotic tropical notes to sift through.  It has an excellent mouthfeel and a wonderful richness on the palate.  This is a perfect example of what a well aged Arran can be.  The cask is muted in the background and the spirit shines through beautifully.

The only thing that held the dram back was the way in which the creamy coconut notes veered toward lotion, an effect amplified by some of the mineral and metallic notes in the background.  I usually get something a bit mineral on Arran, I find it tends to be strongest on the 14 Year and vaguely reminds me of metallic/battery funk some people get on Springbank.  For the wife, these notes hit her more like antiseptic cleaning supplies— usually a note she enjoys, but when paired with the fruity profile, she found a bit odd.

So take what you will— I enjoyed the dram, the peathead wife found it lacking.  I think it is a great example of an older Arran and well worth the pickup if you stumble across a bottle.