Arran à la Belge

Four like-minded people with a preference for all things good in life get together to create this Arran à la Belge. Wait… what? It is an Arran with a Kriek beer finish. The malt was distilled on 11 October 2005 and matured for 12 years on a refill bourbon cask. Then it was re-racked on 18 Sepbember 2017 to a Cantillon Kriek cask at a strength of 55.3% ABV. On 2 February 2018 it was released in 350ml bottles and presented at the MEUG festival in Antwerp. I missed out because of a ski accident, but my buddy Jeroen was able to secure a sample for me. The red sheen of the Kriek beer is unmistakable.

The nose is creamy and sweet & sour with a very clear influence of the Cantillon Old Kriek. Buttermilk and red fruit dominate. I am having a very hard time finding Arran – or whisky tout court – in this nose. Hints of chocolate and cherries (doh!) are the strongest. Mon Chérie with a sour note. Not really my cuppa, to be honest, no matter how noble and fun the idea. Diluted the nose is much easier. Less sour and more sweet. And the Arran character starts to shine through.

The mouth feel is surprisingly light, but taste-wise this is a little bomb! Kriek beer (surprise!) precedes a hefty peppery note. This sets the mouth aflame. Again some red fruit in all guises, but no more chocolate. In its stead I get some candy-like sweetness. Only when I flip the switch inside my head from ‘I am tasting Arran’ to ‘I am tasting something special’ can I appreciate this. For it truly is something unique. Unique in the sense of ‘never tasted this before’. Good? Well, it’s not bad. Especially if you add water. Then you also get some vanilla and white fruit and more… well… Arran.

The long, sweet & sour and piquant finish linger until I cannot hold it anymore and reach for a glass of water.

This was not easy for me. As an Arran it is not up my alley, but as an experiment, I can appreciate it. I’m sure Kriek lovers will like it a lot but whisky lovers probably need to add some water. Long gone by now, but with a little luck, there will be a new Whisky à la Belge release next year. Fingers crossed! Thanks, Jeroen.

Find where to buy Arran whisky