Whisky : Arran 10 Year; Master of Distilling #1 James MacTaggart 10th Anniversary Edition

Country/Region : Scotland/Islands

ABV : 54.2%

Cask : First Fill Ex-Bourbon

Nose : Rich malt and sweet honey come through strongly with more subtle fruit and oak notes in the background.  Red apple slices, peeled grapefruit, vanilla cream, cinnamon powder,  and floral peppercorns develop overtime.

Palate :  Medium bodied with a mild dryness on the back.  Honey and malt tumble forward like a bowl of honey nut cheerios with sweet graham and vanilla.  Deeper in sits citrus rinds, chocolate Tootsie rolls, and brown sugar along with earthy rock salt.

Finish :  Lingering dry astringency and sweet spice.

Score : 5

Mental Image : Continental Breakfast.

Something Better : Glendronach 10 Year SMWS 96.30 (similar tootsie roll, more chocolate/fruits)

Something Similar : Arran 14Y (similar malt/spice, more tropical fruits)

Something Similar : Craigellachie 13Y (similar nose, more herbal palate)

Notes :  A tasty treat from the isle of Arran, this dram was chock full of lovely Arran maltiness sitting alongside satisfying hints of earthy minerals and salt.  This was a great example of harmony between the sweet spices and honey from a first fill ex-bourbon barrel and a thick maltiness.  However, I really wanted more from this Arran— it was too restrained and subtle on the nose and palate.  While I am down to go to malt town, I wanted a little bit more fruit, spice, or cream to come through.  

This was perfectly pleasant— and like so many other Arran it took to water very well with a lot more honey and vanilla developing with just a few drops added to the glass.  This felt like a bubble bath dram— the kind of dram you sit back with and relax— and to be fair it is priced low enough that it does not feel like a bad deal for a solid bottle.  Still, with the Master of Distilling artwork and label, I was really hoping for something elevated and extraordinaru— so maybe that was on me for coming in with the wrong expectations.  Overall, a treat to sip on and I am left excited to try the Master of Distilling #2 to see how the addition of Palo Cortado wine casks give the dram a bit more depth.