ABV: 54.2 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is rich honey sweetness and vanilla with a minty overlay. Black liquorice and a hint of anise create depth and adds to the sweetness. A brighter fruitiness is hiding in the background. It’s quite hard to break it down but there’s some green apples and a hint of lemon. The cask influence is amazing.

Mouth: Dense sweetness and black liquorice. The high ABV creates a layer of spicy chili pepper and it comes rushing in quite fast. It rests on a base of vanilla and honey and a hint of tropical fruitiness with pineapples and lemon zest shine through. A discreet savory note sits in the back. A small note of bitterness comes through. It’s dusty and the texture is oily and thick.

Finish: First comes a spicy kick, then a chalk note. The sweetness and black liquorice return together with the tropical fruitiness. The oak comes fashionably late. It’s a very pleasant oakiness, just a smidge dry and without astringency. There’s hazelnuts coming through in the late finish. This is an absolutely fantastic whisky.

Additional information
This whisky comes from the first casks filled by James McTaggart when he started working at the Arran distillery in 2007. It’s matured in first fill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. It’s a limited edition with just 12 000 bottles released worldwide.