lørdag 24. november 2012

Starting the peaty Sessions with two Arrans, one from a peated cask.


Arran, not much peat here, but one of these should out-peat the other one.












Arran NAS 2012 53.2% OB The Devil's Punch Bowl

A new bottling from Arran, they seem to have done a lot of experimentation in their young years as a distillery. A good thing as they are then able to easier see what sells lots and what sells less. Nutty golden color. It smells oaky, minty, banana, vanilla, coconut, honey, floral, salty, austere, lemon zest. The taste is of light, gentle honey and smoked paprika on the palate, a lot of vegetal notes and not many coastal ones in this. Peppery on the finish. Surely the lightest Arran whisky I've ever tried.

Not a fluke, though it surely sticks out from the rest of the OB's: 6


Arran 6yo 2005-2011 55% OB for the Nectar Belgium cask#124

So, not that much of a peaty start, but a peated cask should at least give some hints of smoke, such as Glenfiddich's Chaoran Reserve if anyone remembers that. Chaoran reserve was a Glenfiddich who had been matured in a cask from Islay which previously held peated whisky. So, fun to try this one anyway. From a peated bourbon cask, the label states. At only 6 years and down to 55% already? It smells of oak, peat smoke but not too much, more coastal this time, shrimps, sea weed, salty, burnt notes. The taste is sweet, banana, ginger, turmeric, cumin, vanilla, waxy, straw, very little peat now. Not too far from the DPB in some aspects. The finish is dry, licorice, vanilla and white paprika.

If a cask is this good at 6yo, who knows what it could be at 12 or 18: 6



Next tasting: Ledaig/Tobermory Distillery



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