Arran 10 Year Old

Now it feels like there has been a long break since I have put out a full written review where all typing and writing skills have alluded me. Maybe enjoy a couple drams yourself to soften the blow of any spelling, grammar or story telling mistakes you most likely will find.

The reason for the delay is I foolishly wanted to take a stab at doing a YouTube review. In short, it didn’t go well.

Now speaking about YouTube, and to a further niche #WhiskyTube, I am reviewing the great Ralfy’s 2021 Whisky of the Year, the Arran 10 year old. Now if you somehow have stumbled into my little whisky corner I am sure you are aware of King of the Bothy Ralfy. If not, make sure to check him out!

Throughout the whisky chatter online, Arran is currently riding a huge wave of praise… from reviewing this I can see why.

Experience

I spotted the previous branding at the very early doors of my whisky journey and while I am a fan of the italic font, it certainly wasn’t catching peoples eyes. Then again the A is quite sharp…

Arran Branding Change

Then my eyes was drawn to their gold embellished rebrand in 2019/2020 and contrasting recycled paper backdrop. The stencil like font may look like a modern refresh of WordArt but they have got everything else nailed.

Now I was still a noob (still am) to the full extent of the world wide whisky world then but it seemed to be one of the few rebrands to be accepted with open arms. Impressive considering every logo revamp now are targets to be bashed and beaten down by Dribbble based designers.

Their new brand reflects the eagles (no not the band) that made Lochranza their home which even caused the building work of the distillery to come to a brief halt. It is great that they turned what must have been a remarkably frustrating time and embraced it as part of their identity.

An extra point must be given for having braille on their label. Anything to help make whisky more accessible has to be rewarded.

Nose

It certainly has a remarkably balanced nose. No single note slapping you in the face but a combination of light fresh notes of melon, cut grass, and peaches with hearty malt and digestive biscuits.

Like a pig in truffles, the more you bury your snout the more rewards come your way. After serious sniffing I discovered a floral funky tang which closely resembles earl grey tea bags, left in the food waste bin.

Taste

Due to my expectations of it being an Island Scotch, my brain instantly was expecting the more brash flavours of Talisker and Jura. I was very wrong.

This nectar is very cereal forward with a sweet creamy taste at the front. This is weak banana milkshake poured on top of shreddies, with a side plate of fresh fruit.

There is a slightly sharp citrus edge throughout the palette which slices your tongue leaving a mild earthy spice in its place. Almost cumin like.

The throat enhances that spice leaving real warming sensation which lasts much longer than you would expect from such a welcoming taste.

Now it is personal preference but it really reminds me of Cotswold Single Malt which I would well recommend. Even if Cotswold has the edge on it.

Value for Money

The price range is wide-spanning for this bottle and I do wonder if the surge of online love may have been a factor in this.

I first saw it at £33 which certainly would have given it a higher VFM score however it seems to be sitting between £38 – £45 now. At this cost it is starting to hit the higher end for a 10 year old bottle. But then again, this is not a standard 10 year old.

I want to thank the superstar Alan for sending me a fantastic Arran selection of samples to work through.