Arran 14 Year Old

My 5th Arran review, after the Original, the 10yo, the Amarone, and an IB. Overall the 14yo falls only behind the IB.

First vapor: Floral and grass; the sweet scent of walking into a florist's greenhouse.

Nose: That Arran grass & vanilla on unsalted butter. But this time there is nectarine added. A bit of breathing reveals walnut-- and the faintest banana blending with the butter.

Palate: Splendid creamy nut, like walnut milk. The nose's nectarine shows more citrus tang, unfortunately. The creamy walnut builds up, with stronger vanilla oak and hefty walnut shell-- some tingly sour/bitter. Into the finish, pear pulp and malt develop.

Finish: Oaky nutmeg with vanilla, and a touch of yeasty malt. Becoming slightly sour.

The "Original" expresses the basic tone of vanilla, grass, and nutmeg. To this, the 10yo added "salty butter apple", whereas this 14yo instead adds "walnut nectarine". Choosing between the 10 and 14 would depend on the mood of course, but all-in-all I would prefer the 14. And it still satisfies as a light dram, even though it is not as light as the younger versions.

I would rate it fairly high within an "oaky with light fruit" range, quite close to Glenlivet's Nadurra. For my tastes: Balvenie Double Woods < Glenfiddich Rich Oak < Arran 14 < Glenlivet Nadurra < Auchentoshan Three Wood. Incidentally, the Arran is excellent value.

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