Isle of Arran Distillery
ABV 46.4%
Takes its time to balance itself, but it does. A whole sensory and flavour work out.
Rob Allanson
Berry Bros. & Rudd
Brand
1996, 21 Years Old
Expression
Single Malt
Type
21
Age (Years)
2018
Year of Bottling
46.4%
ABV
Islands (Non Islay)
Region/Country
Independent Bottling
Bottling Type
Taster
Nose: Great minerality and vanilla to this, salted caramel and sweet and salty popcorn. Stewed fruits here, pears in cider, apple tart with golden treacle.
Palate: So sweet, treacle lattice cakes, honeycomb and cinder toffee bars, orange chocolate and almond. Milk chocolate pennies and caramel syrup. Oak tempers the sweetness.
Finish: Satisfying and that oak prickle comes in at the end.
Comment: Takes its time to balance itself, but it does. A whole sensory and flavour work out.
Score: 8.8
Taster
Nose: A little salty, like walking along a sea-wall, before freshly baked custard tarts.
Palate: More pastries – nice! Cinnamon spice, a little chocolate orange, vanilla, stewed apples and pears. The light fruits develop into richer flavours of plum. Good oakiness at the end.
Finish: Oak is a little present on the finish, well balanced with the lighter fruits of the palate and nose.
Comment: All in all a good drop and the journey from light to rich fruits, underpinned with a touch of oak, is really pretty impressive.
Score: 8.5
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