Whisky: Arran 25 Year (1995) Cask 1995/230 for Heng Jiou

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 48.9%

Cask: Hogshead

Age: 25 Years (Distilled 15 Nov. 1995, Bottled 11 Feb. 2021)

Nose: Soft maritime and citrus, dry wood, minerals, sweet florals, tropical, buttery pastries, hints of cream and herbal tea.

Palate: Medium-bodied, slightly oily, soft and mild, citrus, maritime, tropical fruits, pineapple, tropical florals, hints of bitter oak and earth.

Finish: Medium to long with dry oak, herbal tea, and tropical citrus.

Score: 7-8

Mental Image: Picnic at the Scenic Overlook

Narrative & Notes: Soft and maritime with gentle citrus, the aroma spoke to dried scrub brush on a seaside cliff as stone, mineral, and salt hung in the air the dry wood. Lime and lemon with a touch of pomelo opened the gateway to balmy iris and hibiscus with a floral turn. Taiwanese pineapple cakes, winter melon, and creamy butter lingered in the background with a touch of herbal tea. Medium-bodied and slightly oily, the flavors began soft and mild with citrus and maritime salt before more tropical fruits and florals cranked the intensity with background layers of earth and oak. Lemons, limes, and bitter oranges arrived first with a gentle salty sea breeze that carried sweet notions of earth and minerals. A concentrated burst of tropical pineapple and passionfruit hit the center of the tongue while tropical hibiscus, plumeria, and iris bloomed on the side. Floral notions carried through as an occasionally bitter oak moved in toward the end. Absent the oak, more earth came into play. The finish was medium to long with dry oak, herbal tea, and tropical citrus.

By a couple of years, this was the oldest Arran I have had the good fortune to try. It has been thrilling to experience the evolution of the Lochranza Distillery over the years. I still need to try the peated malt produced at the neighboring Lagg Distillery. Still, until then, I was thrilled to try an Arran at the quarter-century mark and from the first year of distillation.

Beautiful. So many of my favorite elements of Arran’s Lochranza distillery were present on this malt: tropical fruits, florals, and hints of earth. The flavors and mouthfeel were well-balanced, with a good crescendo over time. What started as a mild and mellow experience transformed— like a star going nova with citrusy pineapple and tangy passion fruit. Those notions lingered on the finish with a drying herbal quality that varied from tea, especially when paired with floral notes, to bitter oak. And oak note, which often came on the back end and sometimes lingered on the finish, was the only significant weakness to this malt. Those notes do not always bother me that much, but this one felt a bit askew from the rest of the experience rather than a lovely contrast.

Overall, wonderful stuff from Arran.

Image Credit: Raygun on Maltrunners. Check the link for our group review there.