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Arran Cask Finishes Sauternes

Average score from 4 reviews and 4 ratings 81

Arran Cask Finishes Sauternes

Product details

  • Brand: Arran
  • Bottler: Distillery Bottling
  • ABV: 50.0%

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@casualtorture
Arran Cask Finishes Sauternes

After a good palate cleanse, we now have the Arran Sauternes cask finish. Sauternes is a French sweet wine, and is made by grapes that have been afflicted by "noble rot," which apparently slightly raisins the grapes and brings out distinctive flavors.

Again, this is bottled at a commendable 50% abv. Bottle has been opened for only 2 days and is practically full, so that's why we're doing this one second as it has now have plenty of air time in the glass. Neat in a Glencairn.

Nose: Quite a unique experience here on the nose. Minty almonds...? I don't know how else to describe it. There is a fresh, mint chocolate note alongside something reminiscent of amaretto. Then we get tropical. Pineapple, mango, unripe apricot. Very bright. A unique transition and some unique flavors. That first minty almond thing though is just weird.

Palate: Wow, now we get VERY tropical. Pineapple, almonds, young mango, coconut. I can hear the Hawaiian Pahu drums. Then there is a bit of a white pepper/salt thing and some oak. I'm taking this to the beach with me. Bright and fruity with just a touch of salinity.

Finish: Vanilla and more tropical fruits round things off. I can see the sunset from the beach I'm drinking this on (I wish).

Overall: The nose on this is...weird. But the flavors on the palate just dance a lively tropical dance. I wish the nose didn't have that weird minty almond thing but I'll deal with it for the tropical vibe.

I'm going back and forth on this. The nose on the Amarone cask was very good, and the palate was good, albeit a bit too much of the wine influence for me. The nose on the Sauternes is not good, but the palate is better than the Amarone I think just due to the wine cask not overpowering the spirit. I think these are 2 very different whiskies. Amarone is a fall weather, rich, darker whisky, while the sauternes is something you'd take to the beach. They're both good, and I think it just comes down to whether you want something darker and richer or something brighter and lighter. It's amazing how just 8-12 months finishing in different wine casks gives you 2 completely different whiskies.

A
@Wills

This is my first Sauternes Finish and the fact that I am no big wine drinker shows my lack in experience for this tasting. But even I can smell this special flavour. Hard to describe, but it's fruity, mostly citrus/lemon and maybe some oranges too. There is this flavour of sweet fruit gum and also some melon. The standard Arran 10yo is more fruity in my opinion and smells a lot more like sugar melon. This not so fine turpentine smell, which I get from the 10yo is missing here completely.

The taste is sweet, then there is a lot of the citrus aromas again. Due to the 50% ABV there is some alcoholic kick on the start. The body is quite light, lighter than the 10yo. I also find more spicy oak notes in the 10yo.

The finish is quite short. It gives you a dry and adstringent feeling on the tongue.

Overall a fine whisky but so far it is not in my top list. Maybe I just can't appreciate this one like it deserves.

@galg

Nose: Heavy stuff, very winey and tannins running like mad, then some old dusty books. weird.

Palate: Sweet, fruity, tannic, with a lot of apricot. Water does not become of it.

Finish: Short and sweet. A bit of fruit, and the wine effect is very strong.

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