Style: Fruity and Spicy
Nose:
Youthful, spicy edge dangling on top while we have light kamquat and candied pear mixing chocolate malt powder on the nose. The aroma continues to dance on the spicy edge, citrus sweetness, milk duds and vanilla icing sugar beginning to emerge as it breathes out. Nutmeg, cinnamon and a touch of tree bark to finish.
Palate:
Begins with a spicy sting, once it opens up to fresh kamquats immersed into vanilla milkshake. Sago pudding floating on top, tropical fruits buzzing in, a layer of barley-agar agar. Dry spice sinks in, earthy nutmeg, cacao powder sprinkling down on over-roasted almonds at the back.
Finish:
Chocolate oak, dry barley crushed into many pieces and vanilla cupcake.
Thoughts:
This is the very first Arran I bought back then a few years ago, and to be honest, I did not know anything about the distillery at that time… Ah, the old days… Now, revisiting this, it feels somewhat similar but slightly different expression to what Arran is now. The Millenium Casks is less creamy but more on the barley, and the vibe is a bit different too. Maybe that is because of the (lack of) maturing age, or maybe there are some distillation tweaks along the way? An interesting, youthful dram.
✓ [Recommended if you like the Style/ Distillery]
[53.5% / Original Bottling / No Age Statement / Natural Cask Strength / Natural Colour / Non Chill Filtered / 7800 Bottles / Limited Edition / T]
-Esmond
WhiskNick 