Arran single cask 1996

[Mr Fjeld]

Good evening all! The Arran single cask 1996 is now available in the standard selection in Norway. I've yet to try an Arran but I'm curious about this one. If anyone have tried it could they please tell me which one I should go for: Arran single cask 1996, The Arran Limited Edition Cask Strength or the standard expression Arran Single Malt. There's also a one off bottling for the agent called Jon's Utvalgte 7 Year old Arran but I doubt anyone but Old Bollard have tried it. Oh, I should perhaps mention that the single cask is not the same as the single cask calvados finished - it would be illegal and classified as a narcotic substance due to strength over 60 %.

Skål!
Christian

[Lord_Pfaffin]

Hi Christian:
I've tasted a 6yr old and an 8yr old Arran both very smooth for their age and quite drinkable. I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to try a caskstregth Arran if one presented itself. The malts this newer distillery has produced are promising, boardering on exquisite even.

[Lord_Pfaffin]

Good evening all! . Oh, I should perhaps mention that the single cask is not the same as the single cask calvados finished - it would be illegal and classified as a narcotic substance due to strength over 60 %.

So Glenfarclas 105 is a narcotic Wow it's a good thing my garden isn't in Norway!
Ardaíonn ár ngrá muid féin níos airde i gcónaí!

[Lawrence]

I have the single barrel Cognac finished Arran and it's very good. West Van Dave has the Port finish but I'm not sure if he's opened it yet.

I think Arran is going to be one of the super stars in the not too distant future.

[Tom]

I would say the limited edition on Cask Strength. or the single cask if it has sherry involved. I tried the entire range except for the Calvados finish and must say the sherry finish is superb. Although I find the standard bottlings of Arran suprisingly good for its age, I would not buy one yet. It still tastes like a work in progress IMHO. This can't be said about their cask strength editions however.
Therefore, my advice would be the Sherry finish limited edition.

[Lawrence]

We bought a cask of the Arran in a refill sherry cask.....

[Tom]

Congratulations.
If you have it bottled and want to sell a bottle, drop me a mail. Refill sherry is my favorite cask anyway and like I said, Arran+Sherry is great. When do you think to bottle it?

[Lawrence]

If I remember correctly in another 3 or 4 years, it's currently residing in the warehouses at Springbank. I'll keep you in mind for the bottle,

Lawrence

[Mr Fjeld]

Good evening all! . Oh, I should perhaps mention that the single cask is not the same as the single cask calvados finished - it would be illegal and classified as a narcotic substance due to strength over 60 %.

So Glenfarclas 105 is a narcotic Wow it's a good thing my garden isn't in Norway!
Ardaíonn ár ngrá muid féin níos airde i gcónaí!

Thanks for the advice Lord_P, looks like I have to buy everyone hehe - but not at the same time....

Skål!
Christian

[Deactivated Member]

If I remember correctly in another 3 or 4 years, it's currently residing in the warehouses at Springbank. I'll keep you in mind for the bottle,

Lawrence

Me too! Me too!

[WestVanDave]

Big party at Lawrence's house...

I'll bring my various Arran bottlings (if there's any left by then)

Limited Edition bottle No. 402 of 488 - 58.2% bottled 16.10.03 - Cognac Cask

Limited Edition bottle No. 121 of 248 - 57.8% bottled 19.9.04 - Bourbon Cask

Limited Edition bottle No. 102 of 865 - 57.5% bottled 10.6.04 - Port Cask

Limited Edition bottle No. 56 of 256 - 58.6% bottled 29.9.04 - Rum Cask

Cheers, Dave.

[Deactivated Member]

Big party at Lawrence's house...

What time?

[Lawrence]

An Arran party, that's not a bad idea...........

[SpiritofShetland]

I love Arran, and has gotten a hold of one of the bottles avaiable in Norway (gave it a 7.5 out of 10). I've got seven different Arran bottlings so far (from three years and up, including a selfbottled one from the distillery, yummy).

Mr.Fjeld: To see my tastingnotes on it (in Norwegian) go to NMWL's website (you need to be logged in to see the tastingnotes): http://www.nmwl.no/forum.

[Mr Fjeld]

Hi Arve - appreciate it! I'll check it out!

Skål!
Christian

[kallaskander]

Hi there,

don´t want to be a spoilsport but the enthusiasm for Arran is way beyond me. I have not tried all the thousend bottlings of all the barrel types that are possible nor all the barrel types they have done. My opinion on finishings in some barrel types are well known by now I believe. I tasted one of the first bottlings which was of course very young. Since then I avoid the Arran whiskies. I know that Arran Distillers sell most of it to the States and there it sells verry well. Is it because it is so, how do I put it, mild in its design? I´ll give it another chance when the first 12 year old is available. So sorry for me is the Arran just a big disapointment of an island whisky. But there is still hope. Probably an Arran herring barrel finishing could be to my liking ... ?

Greetings
kallaskander

[Mr Fjeld]

I see - but don't you think a young (four year old?) whisky you once tried should be given another chance now when it has reached 9yo? For me an island/coastal whisky doesn't need peat to be good! Actually, it doesn't even need to be "islandish" at all!
I'm probably going to buy it soon anyway!

Skål!
Christian

[Deactivated Member]

For me an island/coastal whisky doesn't need peat to be good! Actually, it doesn't even need to be "islandish" at all!

Christian - I couldn't agree with you more. I like a peaty dram as much as any man, but the world of whisky had so much more to offer than just peat - and a good peaty whisky needs to bring more than peat to the party too!

[kallaskander]

Hi there,

very interesting. An island whisky which does not need to be islandish? So pray tell me what is islandish? I love Brora and Clynelish which are definitely coastal and compared to all I know of Arran - und more I do not say nor claim - more islandish than Arran. Has anyone tried the "Six Isles" yet, the vatted malt containing whisky of all six producing scottish whisky islands? I have and my first reaction was "There is too much Arran in there." Which would be understandable cause I would think that of all the malts in it the Arran is the least expensive and the easiest to be had. The Arrans I know taste more of Speyside than an Island. A Jura or a Bunnahabhain taste more of an island whisky than any Arran I tried. So if an island whisky has not to be islandish what about making it in the Lowlands? You prefer the Eastern Highlands? As well. A whisky can come from just anywhere as long as it is good. Conceded. But where does that lead us to? I mentioned Talisker earlier in another thread Mr. TattieHeid said that Caol Ila is 100% not Islay-matured. Come on, now. Naturally the world of all the whiskies has more to offer than peat or salt, much more. I know that and I live that. But if it does not matter where a malt comes from, if you can not taste where his place of birth was, why you could call a malt made anywhere in Scotland "Ferintosh", "Craignure" or "Kincaple" and claim it was made there like they have already done. No. You can´t do that. A malt should taste of the place it comes from anything else is pure arbitrariness.
No thank you, not for me. I do not complain about that Arran hype elsewhere, greetings from Macallan, by the way. As I said, I´ll give it another chance when it is 12 years old.

Greetings
kallaskander

[Deactivated Member]

I read somewhere that Caol Ila makes two whiskies - a peated one for single malts and an unpeated "highland style" one for blending. Ardmore, on the other hand, is a definite attempt to create an island malt on Speyside. Glengoyne is a lowland malt from the highlands and Highland Park is a highland whisky from an island. As for highland style itself, how can a category be broad enough to include Brora, Pulteney, Glenlochy and Ben Nevis? How can Speyside accommodate Glenfiddich, Macallan Fine Oak and Cragganmore? And how can Springbank, Glen Scotia and Longrow ever be considered to form a single Campbeltown style?

Geographic location is just an indicator of likely style - nothing more. A good whisky is a good whisky based on its nose, flavour and balance - not on how closely it fits a stereotype.

I have only had one Arran, but I thought it was good - especially for such a young specimen. Maybe it will get better as it ages, or maybe it is one that peaks young. We'll see. But I'll judge it on how it tastes, not how I think it ought to taste.

[Lawrence]

So sorry for me is the Arran just a big disapointment of an island whisky

All the more for the rest of us who appreciate a whisky in the highland style.......

[Mr Fjeld]

Hi there,

very interesting. An island whisky which does not need to be islandish? So pray tell me what is islandish? I love Brora and Clynelish which are definitely coastal and compared to all I know of Arran - und more I do not say nor claim - more islandish than Arran. Has anyone tried the "Six Isles" yet, the vatted malt containing whisky of all six producing scottish whisky islands? I have and my first reaction was "There is too much Arran in there." Which would be understandable cause I would think that of all the malts in it the Arran is the least expensive and the easiest to be had. The Arrans I know taste more of Speyside than an Island. A Jura or a Bunnahabhain taste more of an island whisky than any Arran I tried. So if an island whisky has not to be islandish what about making it in the Lowlands? You prefer the Eastern Highlands? As well. A whisky can come from just anywhere as long as it is good. Conceded. But where does that lead us to? I mentioned Talisker earlier in another thread Mr. TattieHeid said that Caol Ila is 100% not Islay-matured. Come on, now. Naturally the world of all the whiskies has more to offer than peat or salt, much more. I know that and I live that. But if it does not matter where a malt comes from, if you can not taste where his place of birth was, why you could call a malt made anywhere in Scotland "Ferintosh", "Craignure" or "Kincaple" and claim it was made there like they have already done. No. You can´t do that. A malt should taste of the place it comes from anything else is pure arbitrariness.
No thank you, not for me. I do not complain about that Arran hype elsewhere, greetings from Macallan, by the way. As I said, I´ll give it another chance when it is 12 years old.

Greetings
kallaskander

I don't really care about "terroir" in the various whisky regions simply because there isn't any! That some of the island/coastal distilleries share some common peculiarities dosesn't mean it's a rule - rather an exception if you ask me. To think otherwise is purely romantic; sea air making the whisky salt during storage or peat level in the water that couldn't possibly make the whisky peaty simply because there isn't smoke without fire - and as far as I know water doesn't burn! See past the romanticism and there's no terroir whatsoever. And strictly speaking.....Arran is a highland whisky if regions is anything to go by. I like Bruichladdich and there are lot's of whiskies out there with more peat, salt, iodine, and seaweed than most of B's range.

If you think about it wouldn't you say that the entrepeneurs at Arran would be foolish to feel "obliged" to make an Islay/island style whisky? How does your terroir fit into that?

Skål!
Christian

[Deactivated Member]

If Scotland were France, there would be a prescribed way of doing things in each legally defined region. If you want to make cheese in Pont-L'Évêque, you have to make Pont-L'Évêque cheese in the specific way that Pont-L'Évêque cheese is made (at least if you want it to carry that name). And if "Island" were an official territorial designation, there would be prescribed methods, equipment, and even raw material. But as Christian rightly points out, there is no real terroir in whisky, and I firmly believe that "coastal" whiskies taste the way they do because that's the way they want it to taste. Certainly temperature and humidity play a role in maturation, but the variation from place to place in Scotland, at least insofar as the result is concerned, is likely not so great as some would like to believe. Perhaps, like the French, the Scots believe that certain methods work best in certain places; nonetheless, they are plainly not so sticky about it as to mandate various appellations.

What's more, "coastal" is one thing, but lumping islands from Arran to Orkney (and soon, presumably, Shetland) in one category is quite another. It's even arguable whether Arran is above or below the Highland Line (and I've just spent 45 minutes trying to find out--if anyone here can link us to a map showing the commonly accepted placement of the line, I'd appreciate it). Arran could certainly proclaim its own unique appellation, anyway! So after all is said and done, I wouldn't worry too much about whether an "Island" malt tasted "Islandy" or not.

Or perhaps Bruichladdich tastes less maritimey than other Islays because it's across the street from Loch Indaal....

[Lawrence]

Or perhaps Bruichladdich tastes less maritimey than other Islays because it's across the street from Loch Indaal....

Yes, it's well known that the "Islay Line" is that white dotted line running down the middle of the road and Bruichladdich is on the wrong side of it...................

[Deactivated Member]

Bruichladdich--photo by Mr Tattie Heid...........................................................no line here^!

[Mr Fjeld]

That's probably because the hebridean weather's constantly polishing it off on it's way to impregnate the barrels with a little salt......
You'll find traces of this line in the church of Portnahaven where it to this day divides the community into Islay and .......not realy Islay. They are not fond of eachother




Skål!
Christian

[Deactivated Member]

Okay...I admit it...I've really gone off the deep end....

[Mr Fjeld]

Hehe...nice smilie Mr Tattieheid

Skål!
Christian

[Wendy]

Mr. TH,
Oh...so there is GOLD at the end of the rainbow!

(To all photographers, thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures!!)

Cheers,
Wendy

[Mr Fjeld]

Well, I ended up buying the single cask anyway - the bottle that is!

Skål!
Christian

[bernstein]

Gratulerer med (Arran)dagen, Christian - I quite liked my Arran Single Cask - I hope you'll have a chance to enjoy it - the bottle that is...

[Mr Fjeld]

Thanks bernie - looking forward to it!

Skål!
Christian

[bernstein]

It's even arguable whether Arran is above or below the Highland Line (and I've just spent 45 minutes trying to find out--if anyone here can link us to a map showing the commonly accepted placement of the line, I'd appreciate it). Arran could certainly proclaim its own unique appellation, anyway! So after all is said and done, I wouldn't worry too much about whether an "Island" malt tasted "Islandy" or not.

It's always fun to stir up confusion by adding more irrelevant information. Here I go:
As you all surely very well know, Scotland is geographically divided into three distinct areas: the Highlands, the Central plain and the Southern Uplands. The Lowlands cover roughly the latter two. The term ‘Scottish Lowlands’ is generally used mostly with reference to Scottish history and the Scottish clan system, as well as in family history and genealogy. I haven’t found a map of the (of course widely arbitrary!) ominous ‘Highland line’ according to the Wash Act of 1784. Its aim was taxation, though, not the description of culture, language, tastes of whisky etc.
Although the Isle of Arran administratively belongs to North Ayrshire (so more affiliated to the Southern Uplands), its northern part is generally regarded as part of the Highlands. This is supported through the fact that the prominent ‘Highland Boundary Fault’ divides the island into two parts. As Arran distillery is located in Lochranza, you may very well associate its whisky to the Highlands…
At least geologically spoken.
Or geograhically…

[Mr Fjeld]

That's great Bernstein!

Skål!
Christian

[kallaskander]

Hi there,

I learned the other day that we are very strict about wandering off topic in this forum. It is fun, though. If Arran was drifting in the North Sea between the polar region and the Isle of Man it still would be a whisky producing island. Producing a malt that is which does -as far as my experience goes- taste like it was made in Speyside. Browsing the threads in this forum I found other posts not especially in favour of Arran whiskies. I´m not talking "terroir" or French wine making customs and regulations. I can share the opinion that a good whisky - is a good whisky no matter where and how it was made. Talking about psychology I just expected something different from an island distillery. Furthermore, sorry to repeat myself, I´m not too fond of all these finishings. They work well with the Arran - but why is that? I do not believe that all the things I said earlier about whiskies used for finishings does apply to Arran malts in general. But why is Arran a good finishing whisky in most cases? I´m not giving my answer here at this moment but would like to invite you to give your answers or speculations to this one for the enlightenment of us all first. I promise to follow suit.

Greetings
kallaskander