Even though the distillery isn’t even 30 years old, I think Arran have been on the right track for quite a while. They’re not really doing anything all that different from many of the other distilleries, but they do things well. It’s quite rare to have an Arran that’s not good.

And, having visited the distillery twice, I can say I really like the place. There’s a nice cafe, the surroundings are awesome and it’s really nice to get in for a burger, tour and tasting after doing the Laggan Circuit in the morning.

Sniff:
Baked apples, straw, barley, quite a bit of oak. Raisins, mango, dried peaches.

Sip:
A gentle palate with fresh black pepper, oak, almonds, dried fruit. Baked apples and baking spices too. Brown sugar for sweetness.

Swallow:
The finish is surprisingly dry and focuses more on the almond and straw aspect. Quite long, with some spices and oak.

The very typical American oak + Sherry combination of Arran whiskies is quite noticeable in this one. The notes of baked apples and a focus on barley, combined with dried fruit. In my book that works rather well.

88/100