Whisky: Arran 16 Year “Pure by Nature”

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 46%

Cask: Bourbon, Sherry

Age: 16 Years (Bottled 2013)

Nose: Mellow and mild, citrus rinds, sunflowers, hibiscus, tropical vibes grew with hints of salt and surfboard wax, green bamboo— fresh vegetation.

Palate: Medium-bodied, a kiss of salt, a dash of citrus, bitter orange and pomelo to start, more sweet grapefruit candies or sorbet in the middle, occasionally waxy, mineral undercurrent, tropical florals toward the end with hibiscus tea.

Finish: Medium-length, slightly drying, subtle citrus, salt, and mineral.

Score: 6-7

Mental Image: High Tea at High Tide

Narrative & Notes: I poured this as dram #12 on a “Holiday Mystery Whisky Advent Calendar” and guessed it was a teenage Arran in a refill sherry cask. I thought there was an off chance that this could be a Clynelish, even if it did not have the right mouthfeel, but I was pretty positive it was Arran.

I was right! Finally, after getting the first dram on the calendar exactly right, it has been a long road to get another. I adore these earlier Arran; one of my gateway drams was the 17 Year “Pure by Nature” edition that followed this as the distillery marked the increasing maturation of their whisky and counted down to 18 Years.

I eventually had a chance to try the first edition of the 18 Year, which shared the “Pure by Nature” labeling; while it was good, it felt a bit more sherry driven and not quite as interesting as the 17 Year. I wondered at the time if my tastes had just changed, but now I am pretty sure it was the greater focus on sherry in that release. The sherry influence was present on this 16 Year but far more subdued; it reminded me of an excellent refill sherry butt maturation where the cask just highlights elements of the malt that are already present.

Overall, this was released nearly a decade ago, so I doubt I will be trying it again soon. A pleasant surprise to finally get to try this Arran!