Tasting Note: Arran 18 Year Old

Over the past few years Isle of Arran have been releasing an annual batch of a few thousand bottles of teenaged whisky, as steps along the way to adding an 18 Year Old to their core range.

After a good 16 and a very good 17, last year's limited release 18 Year Old was a bit mince. There was a bitterness to it which wasn't enjoyable. I understand that Arran had to sell almost everything they produced back in 1995 and 1996, so they were working with very limited choices, but still. They could have waited.

So I didn't really have particularly high hopes for this new permanent release. And thus, find myself somewhat pleasantly surprised, but not delighted.

With its sweet cooked apple notes, this dram is most definitely Arran. The nose is toffee - tarte tatin, in fact, with a subtle sweet spice note. Over time a lifted aroma emerges; some sort of pungent note which isn't menthol or lavender, but which reminds me of both of those things.

The palate is slightly hot, sweet, and has a toffee apple sweetness (but green apples). There isn't much obvious oak, and any malty notes take a while to build.

In conclusion, while this a more than decent dram, I think I'd rather have the 14 Year Old, or one of the finishes - probably the Amarone finish.

A Modest Proposal

Although it rather seems to have been superseded in recent decades, the kitemark scheme was generally some sort of guarantee of reasonable quality. Doubtless it was, or is, as fallible as any other human run scheme, but to my youthful eyes it always seemed like a Good Thing.

Last night's meeting  of Glasgow's Whisky Club reminded me once again that there's a crying need for some mechanism whereby the whisky drinkers can be alerted to the presence of whisky for collectors, thus saving themselves the pain of overpriced, underperforming malt, and leaving more sealed bottles for the auction fiends.

The day had started with the unexpected appearance of two new drams from Compass Box, Flaming Heart 2015 and This is not a Luxury Whisky. A tasting of the latter quickly revealed that it wasn't worth the asking price, which arguably is almost the definition of a luxury good.

The Club night featured only one standard dram. It was a strong line up, with the dram of the night being an Auchentoshan 22 Year Old (bottled by the Creative Whisky Co. for my employer, the Good Spirits Co.)

But the shiny bottle, the one that provoked the most chat, was the new Arran Illicit Stills Volume 1. It was a fine drop, and didn't seem too youthful, albeit somewhat harsh in the finish. As with the Compass Box in the morning, the complexity of the dram didn't justify the price tag. However, the blooming thing is all sold out already. A quick rummage online suggests most retailers presold their stock. And that's despite there being 8700 bottles. What the heck?

So. We need some sort of classification or scheme whereby collectable whisky is separated out from the drinking drams. If bottles such as This is not a Luxury and Illicit Stills were marked with a 'guaranteed collectable' kitemark, then those of us who prefer their whisky to taste good, first, last, and foremost can safely pass them by and go find something tasty in an ugly container.

Anyone?

Tasting Note: Arran 12 Year Old Cask Strength

I first tried the Arran 12 Year Old Cask Strength last month when it was released, and was not excited by it. I like the standard 10 year old - a great session dram, satisfying without being challenging, like a battered old sofa with dogs on it, rather than a Louis Quinze armchair - and several Arran releases have been truly excellent, but this expression seemed rather quiet.

Whisky drinkers will often find the time to disagree with each other at length, but I think it's fair to say that most of them would agree a freshly opened bottle tastes different to one that's had a few days or weeks to air. And many would say that an open whisky improves with time. Tasting the Arran 12 again tonight rather confirms that view. Tonight's dram is from a 10cl sample bottle which has been left half full for a month or so, and I like it much better now.

Confirming my earlier thoughts, it's not a blockbuster. But arguably, that's a good thing; it hides its 54%ABV well, and is extremely drinkable neat.

It takes quite a while to show its colours, and I find myself making a comparison to Lochnagar, another malt which doesn't really do fireworks, but is a great comfort whisky. It's very sweet, with the baked apples and spice I associate with Arran, and there's no dryness anywhere to be found. The sherry flavours are subtle, and only come along slowly.

In conclusion, I'd call this a beginner's Cask Strength whisky, just as I'd say that the Arran 10 is a beginner's malt. There's plenty of interest, it does what it ought to, but few people will find it challenging.