The Arran Malt Aged 10 Years Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 700ml

Product Information

A blow-the-budget option if you prefer your drams on the fiery side, this super-peated, cask-strength whisky from Islay’s Bruichladdich should satisfy. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions. The presentation is as appealing as its taste, and the fact that it’s non-chiller filtered makes it unique and complex. With some seriously smokey notes – think savoury, even meaty – and a little toasted malt, it’s fantastic neat. Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 40 Reserve: I tried the 16 a few weeks back and discovered at the same time that they now did a beer matured in a 30 year old Highland Park cask.

A night of sherry, whisky and food at east London Galician restaurant Trangallan, which I’ve been meaning to visit for a while? This is one of the best value whiskies on our list; a complex, smoky, spicy dram that’s more tasty than testing. Left in the glass for a while it opens up further with more sherry sweetness and red wine heaviness coming through. In 1992 Harold Currie (ex-Pernod Ricard and Isle of Arran Distillers), Stewart Jowett (then owner of Tobermory distillery) and Derek Hewson (a tax and revenue consultant) planned to get Tobermory distillery, which had been silent since 1982, up and running again. Yes, after two years of schmoozing the assembled masses of the whisky industry Andy and Jason managed to lever a number of sample bottles of new make spirit out of the hands of the distilleries for a bit of a special evening – tasting blind, as usual, whiskies and the new make spirits that they started out as.The distillery uses barley that is malted offsite and farmed on the east coast of Scotland between Dundee and Montrose. A cocktail is only as good as its base spirit, and with apple, pear and sweet cinnamon, we reckon this would make the ultimate whisky sour. If you’ve ever had those night’s introducing someone to whisky, this is a great reference whisky is sampling different regions or styles for the evening. Islay whiskies are famous for the smoky aromas and flavours created by peated malts, which doesn’t appeal to all tastes.

Comes in great condition with original box, whilst the scores from the WhiskyFun experts had this beautifully toned malt flying into 90 point plus territory! This first bottle was the Mo’land, a single cask lowland whisky, and our featured moustache was that of Richard Paterson who I’ve bumped into a few times over the summer. The Glencadam is interesting – similar to the production Arran whisky in a way that I didn’t expect, with a fizzy icing sugar start, but also with a thick wedge of rubbery niceness running through the middle.I’d spoken briefly to Céline at The Whisky Lounge London event, Arran being the first stand I went to, and was rather taken by her excellent scots/french accent so was keen to wander along to hear more and also learn about one of my favourite distilleries. Arran is an island that I visited a few times as a child – popping over on the ferry (and on The Waverley at least once) when up in Scotland visiting people in Ayr. After an initial 27 years in rare palo cortado casks it sat finishing for 5 years in barrels formerly used to mature Gonzalez Byass’s rather special 30 year old oloroso, for a total of 32 years of maturation.

Auchtensohan’s distillery is situated just outside of Glasgow in the Lowland region and is unique in that it triple distills all of its whisky – a method of production that used to be the distinguishing factor of the region’s style. These whiskies, which often come from the Scottish islands, are warm and mellow, with clean, grassy, cereal flavours. The overpowering air freshener flavour that I got up front pretty much ruined it for me and water didn’t improve it, adding in more waxiness and spicy sweetness but leaving the cloying start. This one is being specially produced for this week’s birthday, with 5640 bottles going on sale very shortly (although only 500 of them staying in the UK) – Céline had only had a couple of tastes of this before, showing quite how new it is.The marzipan flavour is something I’m definitely going to be looking out for in other drams and I may have to have a try of their regular 12 year old. To taste it’s thick and syrupy, with red grapes, spicy wood and a chunk of tannin, rolling towards a buttery apple finish.