Arran 20 Year Old 1996 North Star Spirits

A new bottler was born in Glasgow. North Star Spirits is run by my good friend Iain Croucher, who previously worked for A.D. Rattray. He was also one of the supporters our the Save Lars Whisky and provided us with the first bottling, the by now infamous Bruichladdich 1992. He started his new company in May 2016 and immediately started his hunt for nice casks. The first series consists of no less than 5 single malts and 1 single grain. I am happy to be able to share my tasting notes with you, starting with this Arran from 1996, matured on a bourbon cask and then finished for several months on a Madeira cask.

I get a creamy nose on butterscotch, unripe banana and peach with a wonderful twist from the Madeira. I am reminded of frangipane cake and fresh pineapple, but also camphor, mint and eggnog. Hints of cuberdons. Candied fruit.

It is creamy on the palate, nicely spicy and powerful. Sweet and sour on the palate with sweet and almost exotic fruit notes on the one hand and some grapefruit and kiwi on the other. Loads of tannins, but the fruitiness keeps it nicely balanced.

The finish of this Arran is among the best I have experienced so far. Sweet, sour and bitter all come into play, hand-in-glove. And it lingers for a long time.

A liquid dessert if you ask me. Available soon in our neck of the woods.

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