Islands region – 50%ABV – £38 | €45

I’ve got to hand it to the folks at Arran Malt Distillery – every single one of their single malt whiskies are bottled at a minimum of 46% ABV and are non-chill filtered.

“What does that mean?” you might ask?  Well, I’ll tell you.  Or, should I say, I’ll give you my opinion on the matter:

At 46% ABV, I feel I’m given the freedom to drink the stuff straight or add a wee bit of water, just incase it’s too hot.  At 46%, some of the added dimension to the whisky imparted by the alcohol remains.

With the whisky not being chill filtered, there are a lot of great fatty acids that stay in the whisky which help it retain it’s maximum flavor.

As an example of chill filtering verses non-chill filtering, you can check out my review of The Balvenie 21yr Portwood here where I compare the two different versions.

OK, going to go right into this one here…  Another special cask finish by Arran – a bit of a strange one but hey, I like strange.

On the nose — Spicy nose with initial hits of spiced shittake mushroom.

Unripened bananas.

Cinnamon applesauce, perhaps with some raspberry mixed in.

Traces of green apple-y new make spirit.

White pepper.

Smoked salt on watermelon (my wife introduced me to this delicious treat – try it sometime – delicious!  The woman shown is NOT my wife, by the by).

On the mouth — Fresh grapes and fizzy grape soda, Welch’s style.

A dry cool night filled with fallen leaves.

Salty on the mouth with added notes of starfruit.

Some soured milk/baby sick… an interesting group of flavors.

Finish — A tad garlicy with some hot pepper.  Good length.

In sum — Light yet warming – the autumnal note in the tasting of this hit it on the head.  A warmer-upper of a whisky.  It’s youth is apparent but this is not a fault.  I enjoyed the brightness.  An extra year or two in a bourbon cask may have helped to balance this whisky out a bit but, if it were in your house house and you offered me some of this whisky; I’d not say no.  I may jump at the chance to sip more.  Fun stuff.

Special thanks goes out to Andy Hogan for the sample!