Scotch Whisky Review #225: The Arran Malt 11 Year Pineau des Charentes (2008)

Distillery: Arran

Region: Island

Age: 11 year. Distilled in 2008.

Cask Type: Pineau des Charentes casks

ABV: 53.7% Cask Strength

Price: Many thanks to /u/bradbobaggins for sharing this one!

Color: 1.2, Chestnut/Oloroso Sherry. Natural Color and Non-Chill Filtered.

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Nose: (according to the wife) It’s pretty straightforward. There’s some oak as well as some tangy lemonade.

Palate: The mouthfeel is a touch creamy. It’s quite sweet, a fruity sweetness rather than “I’ve dumped way too much sugar in this” sweetness. Tart fruits pop in here and there with a bit of lemon and strawberry popping in. There’s a hint of barley as well. It’s quite bright and refreshing. With a bit of water, the berry notes become stronger with raspberries coming out to join the strawberries.

Finish: Medium to short. The tangy fruits continue on here. With some water, there’s a slightly herbal note that kicks in. It kind of reminds me of sesame leaves.

Conclusion: I have to admit, I’ve never heard of Pineau Des Charentes before this whisky but I trust that the folks at Arran to find great casks for their whisky. I think they might have a winner here as well. The end result of their experimentation is a delightful, fruity, bright, and refreshing whisky. The bits of tartness here and there keep things from getting too sweet and make it quite fun to drink. With water, that little bit of something herbal at the very end is great and really drives hope the summer fruity drink vibe. Would I buy a bottle? Yes.

Final Score: 83.

Scotch Whisky Review #225, Island Review #32, Whisky Network Review #335

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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.