Arran 20 Year (1998) for Arran Japan 20th Anniversary
Whisky: Arran 20 Year (1998) for Arran Japan 20th Anniversary
Country/Region: Scotland/Islands
ABV: 52.3%
Cask: Sherry Puncheon
Age: 20 Years (Distilled 3 Feb. 1998, Bottled 7 Feb. 2018)
Nose: Dried fruits and chocolate, musk, raspberry, milk chocolate, hints of salt and rose, honeycomb, toffee, and dalgona.
Palate: Medium-bodied, dried fruits, a kiss of salt, chocolate, minerals, dates and figs, caramel, cigar box, bitterness toward the end.
Finish: Medium to long and slightly drying with dried fruits and a touch of bitter herbs or minerals.
Score: 5+
Mental Image: Dark Chocolate, Raspberry, and Musk Ripple
Narrative & Notes: The aroma promised an afternoon treat to get through the day: dried fruits dipped in chocolate, musk-flavored candies, raspberries in chocolate, and more chocolate. As the chocolate haze parted, a kiss of salt and floral rose arrived with toffee, honeycomb, and dalgona— various caramelized sugars with baking soda. Medium-bodied, the flavor profile was musty and loaded with dried fruits and more subtle notions of salt and chocolate. Mineral water tickled the palate with dried dates, figs, strawberries, and hints of balsamic. A kiss of salt and caramel developed on the mid-palate with a musty herbal quality, almost cigar box, that turned slightly bitter toward the finish. The finish was medium to long and slightly drying with dried fruits and a touch of bitter herbs or minerals.
Maybe my expectations for Arran are too high. I thought this fell flat, especially on the finish, and I considered scoring it even a peg or two lower. I wondered how I would have evaluated this had I not been weighed down by my expectations for Arran. Honestly, I have no idea. The issues here seemed threefold, though none particularly fatal; the combination disappointed me. First, I found the flavors on the simple side for a two-decade-old Arran, especially compared to others I have experienced. Second, the malt was a touch too spirited and prickly on the nose and especially the palate. I expected a more refined and subtle malt, considering the age and maturation. And lastly, but certainly not least, the bitter turn at the end was unpleasant and poorly integrated. That last point is particularly troublesome, as I can otherwise be an apologist for bitter finishes and celebrate the lovely contrast between sweet and bitter.
Despite those issues, I do not feel this was a bad whisky, and I would happily accept a pour if offered. Yet, it was not a particularly outstanding one either, especially for an Arran-stan such as myself. I wondered whether this would have been better off vatted with another cask or two to smooth out its sharper edges. A vatting might have balanced those bitter herbs and perhaps elevated some of the more subtle florals or even the tropical aesthetic. But who knows.
Image Credit: Whiskybase
