(한국어 시음기 밑에 있어요!)
The premium entry in the core Arran range, the Arran 18 hails from the Lochranza distillery on the isle of Arran, just off the west coast of Scotland. All in all, in the grand scheme of things, Lochranza is a relatively new distillery and it was only within the last decade or so that they had enough aged whiskies to introduce older entries to their core range such as this delightful dram.
This entry is aged in a mix of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon barrels.
Vitals:
ABV: 46%
Colour: Copper
Chill-filtered: No
Nose: Very fruity and rich, with dried red berries and peaches leading, balanced out by an aromatic minerality reminiscent of white wine and sea salt. Briefly, candied pineapple appears before notes of malted barley and cocoa powder drown it out. A delicate touch of smoke begins to seep through, but never more than the slightest whiff, a teasing for the palate, perhaps? The dried fruit from earlier returns, with raisins rising to the front, followed by vanilla, Creamy banana in the background rounds out this exquisitely complex nose. 23/25
Palate: Initially a tad peppery with woodspice, but as this fades, dried plums and second flush darjeeling tea provide a rich and fullbodied tasting experience, with a light sprinkling of cinnamon. The plum note begins to further develop into raisins and dark chocolate, while notes of salt and citrus come from behind; adding more depth by amalgamating with the rest of the palate to give the impression of oranges dipped in salted chocolate. 23/25
Finish: Very long and lingering with salted chocolate and mixed citrus peel carrying over to the finish .Grape must makes an appearance too, leaving a sherry-like mouthfeel as it slowly peters out. 20/25
Value*: Around the same price in Korea as most other 18 year old whiskies. 9/25
Conclusion:
The Arran 18 is a huge step up when compared with the Arran 10. The 10 was already good, but the 18 improves on its weaknesses and is considerably smoother than its younger sibling with less spice and more dark fruit notes. The mouthfeel is rich and luxurious and you can tell that a lot of heart went into blending this dram. With that said, it isn't quite as "tropical" as it's sibling though as the effervescent pineapple note of the 10 is largely subdued behind heavier sherry and oak notes that the eight extra years provide.
Basic Rating: 88%
Price Adjusted Rating*: 75%
Daily Drinker: No, but I'd pull this out for when good friends visit.
Possible pairing: I'd probably go with some quality dark chocolate with candied orange peel inside.
Where to find in Korea: Namdaemun, Jura Shop
TLDR Version:
N: dried fruit, peaches, salt and minerals. dried pineapple coated in sugar → malted barley and cocoa powder, with a tiny whiff of smoke → raisins and vanilla, with banana in the background
P: woodspice at first but fades, dried plums, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a little bit of black tea →
raisins and dark chocolate → oranges and salted chocolate.
F: red grapes, dark salted chocolate and mixed citrus peel. Quite sweet and very long.
C: much smoother and easier to drink than the 10. It feels quite luxurious in the mouth and the
flavours blend well together.
한국어 시음평:
향: 말린 과일, 복숭아, 소금, 미네랄, 건파인애플 → 맥아보리, 코코아가루, 약간의 스모크 향 → 건포도, 바닐라 (바나나 향이 은은하게 감돕니다)
맛: 우드스파이스, 건자두, 약간의 계피 및 홍차 → 건포도, 다크 초콜릿 → 오렌지, 소금맛 초콜릿
끝맛: 포도, 소금맛 다크 초콜릿, 감귤류 껍질. 피니시가 아주 달콤하고 깁니다.
결론: 아란 10년에 비해서 훨씬 부드럽고 마시기가 쉽습니다. 팔레트에서 느껴지는 모든 맛들이 함께 잘 어우러지고 고급스러운 느낌이 드네요. 가장 마음에 드는 위스키입니다 :)
Buy / Mooch / Pass: Buy
Review by Glasgowhisky
2020/08/10
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