James MacTaggart has been the master distiller at Arran distillery for 10 years now (and 40 years in the industry) and this was celebrated with a 10th Anniversary Limited Edition.
It is a vatting of 48 first-fill bourbon barrels coming from Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace, all filled during his first months of production in 2007.
Arran 10 yo 2007 ‘James MacTaggart’
(54,2%, OB ‘Master of Distilling’ 2017, first-fill bourbon, 12.000 btl.)
Arran 10 yo 2007 ‘James MacTaggart’Nose: first-fill bourbon alright, full of vanilla custard, buttery candy, malt and honey. Ripe yellow apples. Whiffs of white chocolate. Orange oil. Almond biscuits. Hints of coconut and light sawdust as well. Honest and balanced.
Mouth: fairly simple but nicely fruit and just well made. There’s malt, honey, toffee and apple cake. Then melons and hints of pineapple cubes. Some white pepper and gingery notes from the oak, which are growing towards the end.
Finish: quite long, on sweet plums and oak spices.
Fresh, juicy and very natural Arran whisky. No trickery, simply well made. We cannot be against that. Around € 75.
Score: 86/100