
Оценка: 84-85/100.
Arran 10 y.o. single malt whisky
„From Isle of Arran with love!“
Except an eponymous island west of the Campbeltown peninsula in Scotland, Arran is also the birthplace of a young distillery, founded in 1993 by Harold Currie, who has previously occupied an important position in Chivas, which you can guess what produces – that’s right, Chivas Brothers scotch blended whisky. Arran distillery is the only one functioning on the island and is located near the town of Lochranza.
This makes it the island’s first legal distillery for over 200 years, after the last legal one – the ‘Lagg’ distillery, had closed in 1837. Another thing about the founding date of Arran distillery. The bottles of the brand have two birds engraved on them, which turned out to be Golden Eagles. Exactly a pair of Golden Eagles built their nest on a cliff near the distillery during its construction and since they are a protected species, construction of the building was temporarily halted, until the ornithologists took care of the majestic birds. The nesting delayed the construction, but it has also inspired the people behind the brand to link its history with this of the beautiful creatures. As you can see, whisky under name „Arran“ is being produced from relatively soon – since about 20 years, but at the expense of that, the people from the distillery try to present interesting and new releases yearly, like these distillates finished their maturation in wine casks or Calvados barrels /a few days ago I got a bottle of Arran Amarone cask finish, which is part of this series and except its high alcohol content /50%/, another distinctive feature is its finish in Amarone wine casks, an Italian red wine. I hope to present you its review soon./ Besides these, on the market can also be found /strong words, having in mind the small production capacity of about 130,000 litres per year/ and Arran 10 y.o. single malt whisky, which I present in this article, as well as Arran 14 y.o. single malt and the limited edition of Arran 18 y.o. single malt whisky, which is probably the oldest available distillate of the distillery. Also available are a number of varieties offered by independent bottlers, as well as those bearing the name of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who is not only a symbol of the Scottish poetry, but also and example of how a tax-collector charged with the collection of excise duty from the distilleries, a position he held, can also be in love with the malt drinks. An interesting fact is that the Arran distillery is the only whisky company allowed to officially use his image and signature on their labels, as they organize and finance events in his honor. For me, the real beauty and strength of the Arran whisky is the fact that the liquid is non-chill filtered and has no artificial colouring added /at least among the bottles that I’ve met/. The alcohol content of 46% also speaks well for the 10-year-old distillate and predicts a greater range of flavors. This is exactly the whisky I dedicated my following lines to.
Aroma – strong and kind of fresh, immediately spread around the room, strongly fruity /plums, pineapple, melon, green apples/, generous spiciness /ginger and cinnamon/, caramel, „greenness“, grassy notes reminding me of Irish single pot still whiskey /a mixture of malted and unmalted barley/ like Redbreast, slight „perfume“ notes, sweetness, woodiness, as the pepperness dominates. I added water. A few times / i.e. a few drops several times/. Thereafter, the scent brought me association of apricot-peach jam and the caramel stood out. Taste – sweetness, but also strong, distinct spiciness, as a result of which the tongue tingles after a longer swirling of the whisky in the mouth, fruits, a memory of bourbon, vanilla and a light metallic taste /a specific sensation that sometimes occurs in younger whiskies/. With water – more fruits, low bitterness and unabated pepperness. Finish – long-lasting, sweet and peppery, buttery, malty sweetness that intensifies, fruit jam. With water – apricot kernels and espresso /bitterness/, pineapple and sweetness, which leaves a lasting sensation in the mouth.
Assessment: 84-85/100.