Arran 1995 Single Cask #199, 50.7%

This Private cask is one of 172 bottles and is one of the earliest casks filled by Arran - These casks are very rare now, especially being a 1995 which is the year the distillery opened.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: Apple Danish pastries in a dunnage warehouse. A green herbaceous note reminiscent of fresh basil flows into the dusty, musty smell that comes only from whisky of advancing years. Nose develops to assertive tropical characters. Pineapple, guava et al. under the layer of fruit there is a zesty, classic arran DNA manifesting as lemon balm. An impression of beeswax suggests a full palate to come.

Palate: as the nose predicts, round, mouth coating and oily. The character develops into a floral hedgerow of flavour- springtime. There’s a hint of vanilla fudge giving this a chewy feeling. The tang of Arran citrus qualities remains alongside a crack of white pepper – this is still lively for being so mature, no “flatness” at all.

Finish: fragrant cedarwood sawdust and a move towards the wood influence. Flavours drift back towards red apple as the palate starts to dry slowly. The flavour lasts a LONG time. An extremely classy dram and, as is normal for arran it is showing bags of maturity. Distillery and “aged spirit” flavours are the stars of the show here. The cask is not dominating, only complimenting. Lovely, lovely whisky and a proper example of what we have come to recognise as how ‘Arran in advancing years’ should be.