Arran 18 Year Old

In April 2015 I tried the first release of the Arran 18 Year Old. At that time, it was a limited release of 9.000 bottles (with a subtle gold/white label), but now it has been added to the core range. It is a marriage of both bourbon and sherry matured Arran, bottled at drinking strength. I remember that I felt the first release was good, but not great.

Ah, lovely nose indeed! Fruit beer, lots of butter and freshly squeezed orange juice. Yellow apples, vanilla and Reine Claude plums. Gooseberries? Something milky as well.

I would not have minded a more sturdy body, but the taste is right. Very mineral with pebbles and chalk. Again loads of vanilla, but also sultanas, pears, peach and lemon.. The difference with the nose is remarkable. The white flesh of the pink grapefruit. Mildly bitter with a surprising – albeit quite discrete – salty edge. This is Fanta Lemon on steroids. Nice!

The finish is medium long on all kinds of citrus fruits and cider apples.

Boy, this is good and so much better than last year’s special edition. Around 80 EUR.

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