Whisky : Arran 18 Year (Limited Edition “Pure by Nature”)

Country/Region : Scotland/Islands

ABV : 46%

Cask : Ex-Sherry Hogshead

Nose : Aggressively fruity, this just wafts out of the glass rather than waiting for you to smell it.  Full of malty sweetness like a shortbread cake stuffed with fruity strawberry jam.  Fruit and cream notes give the impression of strawberry banana yogurt or maybe a caramelized BBQed pineapple slice.  Occasionally the maltiness leads more toward an earthy roasted grain or chocolate quality.

Palate :  Medium bodied with a rich fruit profile.  Tropical fruits, though not quite ripe, lead the way, cherimoya or green papaya.  Grilled pineapple gives a lovely juiciness to the dram.  The shortbread of the nose comes through on the palate with a bit of earthy-malty cereal sweetness and nuttiness.  Oatmeal and brown sugar, hint of rose, and a dash of what the wife referred to as ‘old lady perfume.’

Finish :  Lingering dried fruit and brown sugar oatmeal.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Continental Breakfast Bar.

Something Better : Bowmore 21Y; Hunter Laing OMC (similar pineapple/pastry, more complex, longer finish)

Something Similar : Arran Smuggler Series Vol. 3 (similar unripened tropical fruit, more herbal/maritime) 

Something Worse : Arran 14 Year (similar tropical fruit/floral profile, less complex, less finish)

Notes : One of the very first reviews I posted was for the Arran 17 Year Limited Edition. I scored that dram a “B” and then immediately went out to see if I could buy a bottle.  That was the quintessential B grade experience, something so good that I immediately start wondering if I could buy a bottle.  I never did buy a bottle— I had no idea that it was a limited edition or that Arran had switched US importers and no more bottles were heading my way.  Would I still go run out and hunt down a bottle of the 17 Year again?  Especially now that I have had the 18 Limited Edition and scored it even lower.  Has my grading become harder as I have tried more whiskies and my palate preferences shifted in subtle ways?

I honestly do not know the answer to any of that, though it perhaps hints at the ephemeral nature of whisky scoring.  Sometimes tastes change, but scores posted on the internet sit there static unless I actually take the time to retry and retype up a review.  I have not done that yet, but it is something I think about.  In the mean time, I do the best I can to try everything multiple times before typing up a review.  For rare whiskies poured by a friend or ones I try at a bar, that is not always possible, but if I have a bottle or a part of a bottle, I will try everything three times before putting finger to keyboard.  Twice I start with a blank page of paper and draw up notes, the third time I look at those two sets of notes and see what looks familiar, where do they overlap, is there anything else to add.  Additionally, I have my wife and sometimes friends to help with the process.  Fundamentally though, the scores and notes are all just opinions and sometimes opinions change.

As to this Arran; well, it is quintessentially Arran.  It takes to sherry influence wonderfully, the malt carries forward lovely earthy notes, and the whole package blends together nicely.  The 17 year had a bit more rich cake and caramelized pineapple notes that raised it just a bit higher than the 18 Year, but I would never turn down a glass of either.