Review by: dustbunna
This is one of Arran’s entry-level core offerings, the least expensive one bottled at 46% without color or chill-filtration. I overpaid very slightly for this bottle; oddly, it’s still not easy to find in my immediate area despite its popularity among enthusiast circles. Though this is known as the place to dive into Arran/Lochranza if one hasn’t tried their spirit, I’m coming at it now having enjoyed many of their whiskies (bottles of the old 14-year-old, the newer version of the Quarter Cask, and numerous samples of their single casks and special releases.) That aside, I am always interested in exploring well-presented, affordable distillery bottlings more thoroughly, so let’s see what this one is like.
Distillery: Lochranza.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Islands (Arran).
ABV: 46%.
Age: 10 years. Bottled in 2021.
Cask type: Primarily American oak ex-bourbon, with a small vatting of refill ex-sherry.
Price: $68 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 4 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: rich malt, apple, honey, wildflowers.
Palate: medium body ~ more apples, oak, wet grass, pepper, settles and sweetens with time with the apples and honey coming forward, orange oil.
Finish: medium-long ~ drying with some oak tannins up front, more honey, apples hang around on the tail end.
Conclusion: This, in a nutshell, is everything I wanted Glenfiddich 12 to be back when I was still quite new to Scotch. Judging it on its own terms, it’s very simple and straightforward whisky, yet rich in the relatively few notes it presents, with good body and an elegant clarity. It really started hanging together nicely in the second half, with just enough tannin structure to keep the apples and honey in check. I can see why this gets recommended so often as a Scottish malt that might just make you fall in love with the style.
Final Score: 84.
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.
Malt Runners 