Whisky: Arran 10 Year (2009) for Warehouse Liquors

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 56.5%

Cask: Sherry Hogshead

Age: 10 Years (Distilled 1 Dec. 2009, Bottled 11 Dec. 2019)

Nose: Stewed stone fruits, hints of leather and chocolate, ripe plum, underlying notions of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Palate: Medium-bodied, viscous and oily, sweet dried fruits, spirited prickle, cinnamon candies, hints of licorice, vanilla bean, and salt, mellow tobacco and ripe berries at the end.

Finish: Medium-length with herbal tobacco, a hint of mint, and berries.

Score: 6

Mental Image: Blackbeard’s Spice Box

Narrative & Notes: The nose was unmistakably sherried with a mild spirited heat between notes of stewed stone fruits, apricots and plums, and hints of musty leather and dark chocolate. Ripe plum arrived as the dram settled with an underlying blanket of baking spices: ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The medium-bodied spirit had a lovely viscosity and oily quality as sweet dried fruits and a spirited prickle washed over the palate. Cinnamon candies brought a candy store with licorice, vanilla bean, and salted plums to mind. Mellow tobacco and herbal notes joined ripe berries at the end and lingered on the finish with a hint of mint.

A sherry lover’s Arran, this quickly brought to mind my prior experiences with young sherry-driven Arran. It was hard not to compare the drams at that point. While this cask pick did not have any off notes, it felt a bit simple and occasionally hot compared to others I have had– though, at $80, it was priced very attractively. I love the Arran base spirit, and it seemed lost under the cask’s influence in this instance— though at least it was a good cask!

Overall, sure to delight the sherry-inclined that walk among us.

Image Credit: Warehouse Liquors Facebook