Introduction
Arran isn’t a whisky I’d tried before. I also didn’t recognise the bottle when I first saw it, as I was used to seeing Arrans old style of branding.
However, I do like a sherry cask finish on a malt, and also enjoy trying whisky at their cask strength. So, when I saw this particular Arran, a sherry cask malt dubbed “The Bodega”, bottled at 55.8% abv, I couldn’t resist buying a bottle and trying it out.
Here’s what I thought:
On the Nose
No getting away from it, given the cask strength, you initially get strong alcohol when first poured. Leave it to settle for a moment, and cherry makes an appearance on the nose of this malt. There are some undertones of figs, but not initially obvious. Black pepper and cloves in dried oranges...
On the Palate
Sherry comes through, with a dollop of dark chocolate and a peppery finish. A pleasing texture with a smooth finish, despite the high alcohol content.
With water?
Water didn't add much to the party for me. I actually preferred this one neat.
Conclusion
An interesting and pleasing dram from Arran. Well worth the modest price point (for a cask strength sherry cask whisky.
Want to Try?
Why not try the Arran Sherry Cask Whisky for yourself? You can buy yourself a bottle HERE.