Arran 16 Year (1996), Hart Brothers
Whisky: Arran 16 Year (1996), Hart Brothers
Country/Region: Scotland/Islands
ABV: 46%
Cask: Sherry Butt
Age: 16 Years (Distilled Sept. 1996, Bottled Dec. 2012)
Nose: Big sherry cask fruits, stone fruits, baking spices, malty sugars, leather and pepper in the background.
Palate: Medium to light-bodied, dried fruit, pepper, dark chocolate, leather, more berries and baking spices toward the end, light and friendly.
Finish: Medium to short with stewed plums, baking spice, and hints of chocolate.
Score: 6 (78)
Mental Image: A Big Comfy Robe
Narrative & Notes: Big and sherried with a pot of bubbling stone fruits, plums mostly, spiced with brown sugar, cinnamon, and anise. It felt like a cobbler was on order with malty pastry dough and streusel topping for the fruits which gradually broadened with hints of nectarine and peach. In the background lurked leather, pepper, and floral spices. Medium to light-bodied the flavor profile reprised many of the same notes, but with extra emphasis on leather, pepper, and dark chocolate. Stone fruits and more berries lingered toward the end, perhaps chocolate bars compounded with cherries, cinnamon, and orange zest. The finish was medium to short with gentle stewed plums, baking spice, and hints of chocolate.
Very sherried— it was hard to tell that this was Arran at all. I wondered whether anyone would guess this distillery correctly after we included it in our online whisky groups holiday advent calendar in 2024— it turns out most had the same reaction I did. If anything, it reminded me a bit of the mystery twenty-something Speyside whiskies Alexander Murray has bottled for Costco.
Overall, an enjoyable sherried whisky; I appreciated how drinkable the adjusted abv made it. It was not the sort of dram that required much attention or contemplation— it was just a relaxing whisky with plenty of fruits and a kiss of spice. Exactly the sort of fare I enjoy after a long day when I do not want anything too heavy or complicated.
