Arran 16 Year Old 1996 Private Cask for Jan Vissers

This Private Cask bottling from Isle of Arran for Jan Vissers, the owner of the Single Malt Whisky Shop in Belgium, was released for his 35th birthday. He is, after all, the proud ambassador for Arran. The cask was selected by the distillery manager, James McTaggart, in person.

The nose is very expressive with sherry as the leitmotif: plums, raisins, fresh figs, redcurrants, nicely upholstered with cinnamon and cloves. Mint, or is it eucalyptus? Nicely fresh yet complex. Milk chocolate, sugared almonds, mocha and candied sugar. A splash of caramel and a trace of oak. Magnificent.

It does not come as a surprise that sherry also leads on the palate, with dried, dark fruit, sugar and chocolate. The oak is much louder, giving it a bitter edge. But there is more than enough fruit to counter this. Chewing tobacco and walnuts. Pretty punchy! With a drop of water, the balance improves. It even contains a pinch of salt. Complex animal!

The long, drying finish on chocolate, oak and liquorice, make me enjoy this for minutes on end.

Outstanding! As far as I was able to ascertain, this limited bottling is sold out already. Boy, am I happy with mine, as this is the best Arran I have tried so far. Nice one, Jan!

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