Review by: zSolaris

Scotch Whisky Review #242: The Arran Malt 12 Year Cask Strength

Distillery: Arran

Region: Island

Age: 12 Year.

ABV: 52.8%

Color: 0.9, Amontillado Sherry. Natural Color and Un-Chill Filtered.

---

Nose: It’s quite zesty, fruity, and a tad zingy. It’s a strange mix of underripe citrus and a green grapes that are starting to ferment.

Palate: There’s a lot of an earthy malt along with damp hay. A little bit of lemon pops in here and there as well. With some water, it gets sweeter with what seems like pure sugar water coming through.

Finish: Medium in length. The damp hay continues here. There’s a little bit of fruit in her e as well in the form of green apple. It’s rather astringent and leaves a very bitter and poor aftertaste.

---

Conclusion: Arran at cask strength. Should be tasty, no? Well, about that… This one was pretty bad. It has a very interesting smell with a strange mix of underripe citrus and fermenting grapes. It tastes rather…boring with a bit of earthy malt and damp hay. But up until here, it’s still drinkable though boring. The problems seem to come in the finish. It’s incredibly astringent and very bitter. Even after watering it down, it doesn’t change. While I’m sure it is possible (even likely) that this mini went bad, this one will live in the memory as being rather unpleasant.

Final Score: 59.

---

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.