Arran distillery celebrated its 21st anniversary in 2016 and they already had a limited anniversary bottling, but we had to wait some more before a wider public release was announced.
Launched at the end of 2018, this new Arran 21 Years is the oldest official expression to date. A mixture of bourbon and sherry casks.
Arran 21 yo
(46%, OB 2018, first edition, 9000 btl.)
Arran 21 yoNose: sweet fruit candy with mocha and toffee. Takes a while to open up. Apricots and pineapple, as well as rhubarb jam and dried fruits like prunes. Walnuts and cigar boxes. Hints of buttery pastry and herbs.
Mouth: much more spicy. Ginger, cinnamon and pepper, including some charred wood. Malty notes and a light bitterness. Also dark chocolate and hazelnuts, later also walnuts. Back to sweet berries and light floral hints.
Finish: medium, more of this dark chocolate character with spices and bitter orange.
A nice nose, a bit darker than expected, but I must say I expected more fruitiness and complexity on the palate. The oak spices are starting to become quite heavy. Available from Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange among others.
Score: 85/100