Yesterday I went to bed convinced I’d be scoring some decent points. I was certain I tasted a gently sherried Speysider, like Glenfarclas, with a nice bitter finish. The bitterness was quite pronounced, I even got a message stating it was ‘perfect Sjoerd whisky’, which was true.

I went slightly higher with my guess for the ABV, since I’ve been screwing that up consistently, with most of my guesses being quite a bit too low. Obviously I went over and should have trusted my tongue more than I did.

Luckily, I wasn’t too far off for some points, since I did get some for the ABV and some for the age (4 and 10, respectively).

Sniff:
Slightly waxy with some sherry notes up front. Some steeped barley as well, quite porridge like (in a good way). A bit of bite comes through after that, with an austere edge to it.

Sip:
Quite sharp at first, but with rather present flavors. Some alcohol heat, but also dried fruits and a chewy sweetness. Syrupy texture, with some dates and plums. Slightly waxy again.

Swallow:
A bit more bitterness on the finish that is not uncommon in sherried whiskies. Baked dried fruits, like in fruit cake, but without the cake. Quite long

Interestingly, this whisky tastes nothing like Arran the way I know it. At least not to me. It sure is good, with great scents and flavors leading up to a nice and bitter finish. Also interestingly, this is from a Puncheon, but it doesn’t say it was a sherry puncheon. Although, I would be VERY surprised if it wasn’t.

88/100

Arran 1996-2015, 18yo, 50.5%, Puncheon 896928, Single Malts of Scotland. Available for a 100 euros at Best of Wines.