Whisky: Arran 22 Year (1996), Morrison & MacKay Càrn Mòr Cask 383

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 55.4%

Cask: Sherry Hogshead

Age: 22 Years (Distilled 25 May 1996, Bottled 28 Jan. 2019)

Nose: Honey and cereal grains, touch of beeswax, citrus zest, wild flowers, earth and dried grass, weathered oak, a touch of salt and musty dunnage.

Palate: Medium-bodied, oily, citrus, hints of musty dunnage, salted pickled plum, slightly buttery, underlying earth, grass, and menthol, touch of spirit.

Finish: Medium-length and slightly drying with citrus and earth.

Score: 5-6

Mental Image: Summer Citrus Sangria

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was pleasant and straightforward, with sweet toasted cereals, honey, citrus zest, and a touch of beeswax. The characterful Arran malt popped in with an underlying layer of earth, dried grass, and weathered old oak. The sherry cask seemed missing in action as a touch of salt, musty dunnage, and herbal menthol occasionally appeared. Medium-bodied, though on the heavier-oilier end of that category, the flavor profile popped with salted lemons, blood orange, and grapefruit— a summer fruit sangria in a hi ling mui, salted pickled plum powder, rimmed glass. A touch buttery at times, the flavors approached buttery shortbread cookies but never fully committed. At the same time, an underlying earth, grass, and herbal menthol ran throughout, with a touch of spirit at the end. The finish was medium-length and slightly drying with preserved citrus and subtle earth.

Where was the sherry hogshead? While I do not care for malts bludgeoned with sherry, the cask felt entirely missing in action. Perhaps it had been refilled many times before it reached Arran, which had only been in operation for just over a year in May 1996. If the oak was a bit tired and not all that active, that would explain why this malt was a touch spirited on the nose and the back end of the palate. Even with a twenty-two-year-long maturation, the malt felt a bit unrefined and unfinished.

This was not a bad whisky, especially if I think about it in a vacuum and forget the age and distillery for a moment. But really, it is impossible to ignore that this was a two-decade-old malt from one of my absolute favorite distilleries and, therefore, a bit of a disappointment. I purchased the bottle several years ago and never clicked with it. I sampled it out for friends, and I never found anyone who loved it. I do not recall anyone hating it, but it seemed to garner few devotees, especially among the Arran faithful. It did improve some after opening, especially after a few years of being half finished, but that seems a long time to wait, and adding water never seemed to help over the previous several years. The bottle would not rank among my most disappointing purchases, but it never lived up to my expectations.