Arran Robert Burns Single Malt

First opened on January 25, 2013, for our Robert Burns Dinner, this bottle* has sat untouched since, or at least untouched until this evening (April 5, 2013), when I poured myself two 25ml servings (one into my Glencairn 'Canadian' and one into my NEAT glass), and sat down the head and ears of a Lindt Dark Chocolate Easter Bunny (sure beats haggis...). I remember being very surprised by how light and gentle this dram was at our dinner, and I was looking forward to exploring it again.

The version of the Robert Burns Single Malt available in Canada is bottled at 40% ABV instead of 43% ABV, and comes in a very differently shaped bottle...also, I'm not entirely sure what kind of deal Arran struck with the World Burns Federation in order to get named as the 'Official' whisky of the Federation, but it seems to have been a good marketing move for them.

Colour: white wine ('Ayrshire Sunshine', according to the Arran website), with very slow and thick legs (about 2mm wide, and very closely spaced). I'd say this has to be the whisky's natural colour as it is very, very pale.

Nose: crisp pears, some grass, and faint traces of lemon

Palate: young (there is no age statement, but sweet, with some citrus, vanilla, and traces of white cake; medium bodied.

Finish: grapefruit pith(?), short, but very refreshing, with no unpleasant bite.

Balance: very nicely balanced - nothing uneven about this dram at all.

This really makes me want to try some more Arran expressions, and while I do have bottles of the Machrie Moor 2nd Edition (lightly peated), and the 12 year-old Cask Strength sitting on my shelf downstairs, I'll have to wait for a bit...and this bottle will stay tucked away on my shelf, in its box, safely away from the light, until Robert Burns Day 2014

• It was actually the second bottle I'd picked up; I returned the first one because it had no front label, although I took a picture of it first for posterity.

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