Arran Non-Chillfiltered

[Chef!]

The Arran Malt Non-Chillfiltered 46% abv

Quite pleased with this one and decided to post up my impressions while sipping this evening.

Everything about this dram is easy drinking. The nose is clean and fresh toasted marshmallows, baked bread and subtle poached citrus. Mouth is nice and oily, almost reminds me of the thick mouth feel associated with Laphroaig CS. Taste is buttery, cake, lemon, white pepper with a long dry finish.

Will buy again!

Anyone else try this yet? May be another "go to" whisky from now on.

[The Third Dram]

This is the 10YO bottling you're referring to, Chef?
(And I think there's a newer 12YO issue as well, no?)

I like the 10YO quite a bit. Certainly goes down smoothly. And a very clean distillate to boot.

I've been even more impressed with the two 46%ABV single cask versions I've tried recently (one from ex-Bourbon wood and the other from, my senses tell me at any rate, an ex-Fino Sherry cask). Both beautifully integrated and with a considerable degree of complexity.

[Chef!]

This label. I don't see an age statement...

[Chef!]

I think their 10yo is their regular bottling whereas this one specifies being non chillfiltered?

I remember seeing three bottles at the store: One was a regular label that mentioned nothing in terms of CS or Filtered, one was ACEd in another wood, and then this one that did mention the lack of chill filtration.

My brain works by association mostly... when I had it my impression was bladnoch meets redbreast with the viscosity of CS Laphroaig. I may be way off but that's what my brain associated to what I was experiencing.

[Megawatt]

Even young Arrans seem to have such wonderful qualities. I really enjoyed their Robert Burns malt.

[The Third Dram]

I think their 10yo is their regular bottling whereas this one specifies being non chillfiltered?

I have indeed seen that one. If I'm not mistaken Chef, the release of the bottle you purchased predates that of the 10 Year Old by a year or two. However, neither undergoes chill filtration. Here are images of the 10 Year Old as well as of the single cask issues from Bourbon and Sherry wood, which I have...

[Chef!]

Interesting.

I wonder if the one I purchased has been on the market this entire time or that I'm just starting to notice their availability? I don't think I could have missed it and then all of the sudden area shops have as many as 4 types.

Have you compared the newer bottling with the one I had? I'm sure I'll be giving the newer bottling a shot but wanted to know how they compare.

[The Third Dram]

Have you compared the newer bottling with the one I had?

No I haven't, unfortunately. But I'm quite sure I first saw it one or two years ago on the shelves of the LCBO (Ontario, Canada), along with the Robbie Burns bottling and some others. Could it be that your merchant received a 'combo' shipment (from his/her distributor) that included some older bottlings? Possibly.

The first Arran I ever tried was a high-proof (over 56%ABV), youngish (around 9 years of age) vintage edition from a single Bourbon barrel. It was very good.

But those more recent issues (especially the single cask ones) seem to display more harmonious flavour spectrums. There's even a coastal suggestion in the Sherry cask release that reminds me a little of Springbank!

[Chef!]

Just confirmed the newer 10yo bottlings do have non-chill filtered on their label. I imagine both as very similar. I'd love to try the bourbon and sherry casks but don't know where to purchase.