Scotch Review #86: The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish

Distillery: Arran

Region: Isle of Arran

ABV: 50%

Age: NAS

Price: $68

Color: 1.3, Russet/Muscat. Natural Color and non-Chill Filtered

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Nose: (according to the wife) The main note is black tea with a bit of fresh oak and a spice mix. There’s a bit of something sweet that also comes through.

Palate: Slightly sweet, just enough where it’s pleasant. There’s a huge helping of red currant jam that makes up the majority of this, again just lightly sweet. Some black pepper joins in near the end of this.

Finish: Pretty short. There’s some oak and black pepper again as well as a few earthy notes in the form of black tea and tannins.

Conclusion: I’ve come to really enjoy and love Arran whiskies and this one is no exception. While it is a tad straightforward with little to no complexity, it is still incredibly well done. The red currants are delightful and the bit of black tea from the nose and finish make this a rather refreshing dram. Would I buy another bottle? Not for nearly $70.

Final Score: 80.

Scotch Whisky review #86, Island Whisky Review #14, Whisky Network Review #111

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.