Was I wrong about this last time? | Arran Sherry Cask REVIEW
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2023
- I'm looking at a single malt scotch from the Lochranza distillery on the Isle of Arran in the Highlands today. This is the Arran Sherry Cask. I've looked at it before, but it's time to come back to see if anything's changed. I'll taste it and give you my thoughts. Cheers!
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Scores:
0-75 - Crap
75-79 - For cocktails & people you don't like
80-82 - Not bad
83-85 - Getting good here
86-89 - Delicious
90-94 - Awesome
95-100 - Cowabunga Dudes
Music:
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As a Spaniard, I bestow upon you the official certificate of proficiency in pronouncing Sherry-whisky related terms. Congratulations! I take this opportunity to wish you luck with with my colleagues from the official school of Gaelic-whisky-related-terms!
Validation! 🎉
For Spanish, at least. I'd be surprised if any the crowd who's always correcting my Gaelic actually speaks it. 😂
I like that you are revisiting older reviews. It’s so true that our tastes change over time. It’s not always the distillery that gets better or worse. Sometimes it’s just us. I know that I have had a change of heart many times regarding bottles I had loved (or hated).
Absolutely.
Definitely. It's actually quite hard to pin down a whisky. It's a batch product that's consistently changing, and our tastes tend to evolve with time, too. Part of the fun of coming back to bottles you've not had in a while! 🥃
The lovely island of Arran off the Ayrshire coast. My home town of Dalry is in Ayrshire so I have a soft spot for this distillery. I also visited it in the early days. So I can say with no bias that their whiskies are awesome……..
True story.
I grew up on the Isle of Arran, so even less bias here. Great value for money and my favourite bottle & label design.
I've only passed Dalry in the train. Is it worth a visit?
As an Ayrshire man, have you tried the fairly new Lochlea?
I had a similar impression of the the Sherry Cask also about 2 years ago -- I didn't think I would buy another. But I did just that 6 months ago and have found this to have less dark fruit and more orchard fruit. As you say it is more balanced and the Arran character does show itself. A good re-review!
Glad to hear you're enjoying the newer bottle more. A few people in the comments seem to be on the same page. Cheers! 🥃
Would be good to now what the bottling date is. That gives a better direction and time frame. There are a lot of bottles of this around.
Projection of one-self @2:17 was a good one Geoff although a beard, little less hair on top and a scholar of Jerez should start to worry you :) Arran offerings are one of the few still obtainable at a somewhat reasonable price as much as they too have gone up in price these days. Now start working on that beard Geoff! Cheers!!
Beard, eh? Would I get more respect? 😂
@@Gwhisky You never know!
Really pleased that you're reviewing something that I have an open bottle of right now. I think this review is very fair and spot on. I'm also glad that you were the one to 'criticise' some of the younger Arrans. Everyone seems to have endless praise for them but it was the 14yo that I fell in love with (please don't quote that) and I've often held my tongue when people talk about the 10yo and the previous 12CS. The 14 was infinitely better and needs to come back.
As for this Sherry Cask, I agree that it's young-ish and tastes young-ish too. But I still like it for what it is. In my mind it sits next to Glenfarclas 105 which is also young, sherried and high strength. And I'm still seeing both of them for around £50 which is about right. Nothing mind blowing but you don't feel cheated. Cheers 🥃
Cheers! Yeah it's a good one. Not perfect, but big-flavoured sherried fun. 🥃
I really like this one and the bourbon Quarter cask. I far prefer this to the GlenAllachie 10 but that's a personal opinion. (I have to admit that I still love A'bunadh and I always get one when it's on sale.) WT
I've got an upcoming review on the Quarter Cask. It's changed a lot! I like the GlenAllachie 10, but I tend to agree that this is better. Cheers WT! 🥃
Geoff mate, you're never wrong - it's just that you're not always right😉😁 Joking aside, another cracking review. It is always good to revisit drams because over time your palate, preferences and, indeed, expressions, do change. Great vid. Cheers.
Lol well said, Big Al. Always fun to revisit bottles after some time has passed.
Btw I'm wrong all the time. Gf can confirm. 😂🥃
@@Gwhisky 🤣🤣
I'd downgrade the bottle to 4 due to their poor corks. The only worse corkage I've found so far is Glenlivet Nadurra.
Had a couple of bottles of this and with the first one did side by sides with a 4oz sample of Abuna'd batch 61 I had stashed away. The Aberlour had a much more impressive nose making me think at least some european oak sherry butts whereas the Arran is using american oak sherry hogsheads (the smaller hogsheads helping with maturing a 8yr oldish bottle). For me in todays market this is a winner for me. Cheers
Both are great options and offer up different things imo. Cheers Tim! 🥃
I like Arran Port Cask , wery nice whisky . Good job Geoff , like : ) Slainte !
I'll be reviewing that one soon. Cheers! 🥃
@@Gwhisky its good )
Loved it when i first bought a bottle , so bought a second bottle ..
Now ..Not so keen on it , gone off it ....A bit young , bit hot , bit short on depth ...
But it is what it is , my second bottle will last while , won't give it way , but i can't see me reaching for it too often .
Great review Mr G ..as usual !!
Seems we've had similar experiences but in reverse, as I didn't really get on with my first bottle. Sorry to hear you're unimpressed. This one doesn't seem to be the most consistent of bottles. Cheers Allan! 🥃
Not sure that I have ever had the Arran Sherry cask definitely never owned a bottle. I really like Arran Portwood and the Quarter Cask. Can never have enough Thinamon. Cheers to another great review and making me want another bottle of arran.
Cheers to you, sir. Thanks for watching! 🥃
The whisky that ended my Sherry aversion. I reviewed it st the end of October of ‘21. I really like it.
It's good stuff! A good way to ease into sherry for sure! 🥃
After hounding and spamming Geoff for the last year, he eventually listened to me!🤣I really loved it at first, the nutiness notes inspire age and maturation, even if this one if a NAS.
Hah well I suppose a thank you is in order, Chef. Thoroughly enjoying it! 🥃
i brought 1 couple days ago, I'm not a big fan tbh, but i do like the brand so i know I'll buy something else from them
Thanks for re-reviewing this one, Geoff.
Not really an Arran fan myself, though I rated this one definately on the "buy again" side of the line. If I really will... don't know, because there is so much more to explore. Bottom line: definately worth checking out for sherry matured whisky lovers... certainly with the price of €40 in my area.
Slàinte mhath.
That's a great price! Less than what Im paying here in Taiwan. I'm quite surprised to hear you enjoyed this one. Moderately enjoyed, at least. Unexpected! 🥃
@@Gwhisky I admit I do have some unexpected skills 😀
I just got this for the first time today. It’s my first Arran (I have the 10 on order) and I’m a little surprised. I have seen a lot of reviews calling this a sherry bomb, so I expected a lot of sherry notes (like A`Bunadh), but I don’t get any sherry at all on the nose. A little dried fruits on the palette is the only hint of sherry I get. Need to spend a bit more time with it, but I doubt I will find any sherry at all in this one. So far I like it a lot though, but it doesn’t live to it´s name.
Hey Geoff, there was a problem with the server on the Arran Port finish review, so I'm leaving a comment for that video here. Can you see what a dedicated following you have? I mean, I was gonna just say "whatevs" and not leave a comment at all, but no. I care too damn much. Anyway, I think a comparison video would be awesome. I'm looking for where to spend money, and hearing opinions about a few different bottles in the same category would be a big help. Plus, it's fun! Thanks! And you're welcome.
Hi Geoffrey, thanks for letting me know. I'll be rereleasing this video soon enough and it should run smoothly. And thanks for letting me know. I'll try to get that port comparison out in the (relatively) near future. Cheers! 🥃
39 euros on sale in The Netherlands - pretty good
Extremely good price! Definitely not selling for that here! 🥃
one thumb down.
why? no reason I can think of.
.
.
this is most pretty bottle from all arran bottles! :-D
Hey, Geoff! Nice review :)
I haven't tasted this one yet although I have a bottle in the stash. It's from the first batches and doesn't even have the latitude and longitude coordinates of the distillery on the cork stopper. I'm a fan of Arran malt and prefer it without too heavy cask/sherry influence. Currently I'm enjoying a bottle of the other cask strength expression - the Quarter Cask. Now having your review in mind, I might get another bottle of the Sherry Cask from more recent batch, just to a comparison with my older bottle. Especially while I can still have it for 38-40 euros.
Cheers!
That's a great price. Usually Taiwan is much cheaper than most European markets. I know prices in Bulgaria are particularly dire, but you've got us beat on this one. Definitely worth it! 🥃
@@Gwhisky Alcohol is pretty cheap in Bulgaria because of the low taxes and excise duty. Thousands of tourists from Central and Western Europe come to our Black Sea resorts every summer to drink themselves stupid on cheap booze.
Malt whisky isn't particularly dirt cheap, but in most cases it is priced at the same level as say in Germany, at max.
Some brands though, like Laphroaig or Kavalan are outrageously overpriced, but this is because of the particular importer. That company is either unable to get fair prices for almost every whisky it carries or its owners are plain greedy AF.
On the other end, brands like Arran, Glenallachie, Kilchoman, Waterford, Redbreast are priced significantly lower than the rest of Europe.
Cheers!
Great Review. A few laughs. I havent tried it yet, but wondering if it might be a good alternative to Glenfarclas 105 which is my go to for cask strength Sherry.
I much prefer this to Glenfarclas 105. However, it's considerably more expensive where I live. 🥃
@@Gwhisky It is comparable price here so I will definitely try it.
I'm thinking of getting a few Arrans next up. This one, the Quarter Cask and the Port Cask being among them. The 10 is excellent, and I would love to get to know this brand better. As luck would have it, the Quarter Cask, Machrie Moor and Sherry Cask are currently on offer for 38 EUR apiece. Seems a fair price to me.
Those are excellent prices. Definitely worth grabbing! I've yet to try a Machrie Moor, though. I hear mixed things. Cheers! 🥃
The most recent Quarter Cask I have is leaps and bounds ahead of the most recent 10 I bought. My 10 is a 10 Feb ‘21 bottling, and QC is a 28 Sept ‘21 bottling. YMMV.
I thought the price was very reasonable considering the other options available to me. I am not the most experienced buyer though so take it for what it's worth. I also have the 10-year-old and the Port Finished which was a bit cheaper, and I like it a bit better than the Sherry finish.
It's cheaper in a few other markets than it is here in Taiwan, which is rare. Yes, overall it's reasonably priced. Glad to hear you're enjoying the port. I'll be (re)reviewing it next Monday. Cheers! 🥃
Got me a bottle a few weeks ago and I agree with you....this one is better then the one about 18 months ago....more balance. In Sweden, 582skr (~€55)
Glad to hear you agree. Mats! Always nice to see a bottling change for the better. Cheers, my friend! 🥃
I've only had the new 18 yr and enjoyed that. Good info on the this bottle. How much did you pay for the bottle? Great review.
This cost me roughly $70/£58, but I hear it's much cheaper elsewhere. Worth trying! 🥃
Send this over in a weather balloon! Well, not you, but maybe your neighbors...🤣
😂😂😂
It's interesting that the Arran 10 is becoming more sherry driven. Could the shift in flavour profile be due to a change in the cask selection process or an intentional shift in the distillery's flavour profile? I loved the old 10 for its hallmark clean and citrusy taste. The sherry finish I like, too, but is it better value than the 10 now that it`s sherrying up?
Same story with new Arran 18. Good for sherry lovers. I prefer 100% bourbon maturation. 😁🥂🙋🏻♂️
I couldn't tell you the reasoning, but I definitely feel that something is lost when they lean too much into using active casks. There are a few Arrans that, while still good, aren't what they used to be. Some of those early bright fresh 10s were great! 🥃
I like the older 10's better. They were more bourbon style then sherry. Fresher and cleaner. When i come across the older bottles, i usually picking them up if there not overpriced.
"heh·rez" (no rolling r on this one)
😞
I find quite a lot of variation between different bottlings of the same whisky with arran
Absolutely. I've noticed HUGE differences between the 10s, but also the Quarter Cask, Sherry Cask, and the Cask Finished releases. 🥃
For a sherry bomb, I.m curious for you to revisit Aberlour a'bunadh new batches,to say your opinion. Cheers!
I don't have any recent bottlings on the go, but I do come back to A'bunadhs from time to time. It'll happen eventually! 🥃
Within a couple of months now I’ve seen Arran 10 year go up to $14 in price. If I see this one at a reasonable price I’ll go for it. For an upcoming review how about the Glendolough 7 year Mizunara cask finish
Still haven't picked up that Glendalough. Very curious about it, though. 🥃
only tried Arran Heavily Peated - Sherry Casks, aka - 'the crazy swede' I like peat and sherry this was sadly not for me. what I remeber is some smoke, coke and a finish with pomerans. it was not crazy at all... and this made me a little crazy. mby ill try it again in a few years, I just don't want to get gaslighted again...
I've never tried the heavily peated expression. This one is unpeated. 🥃
How’s it going Geoff. Sometimes you can be in a mood for a bright sherried whisky. I for one prefer the darker sherry flavor profile. Edradour, old style Glendronach, Tamdhu even. Btw I doubt you keep bottles around for long after opening , or do you? If you do, do you notice if the cask strength ones retain their flavor for longer than low abv? I mean without changing flavor as much as lower abv bottles. If you DO keep them open for long, what is the longest you’ve kept an open bottle before finishing it and do you believe in gas preserving scotch. I myself own a gas bottle and have used it on a couple of bottles but I’m leary of doing it to a valuable one.
Heya Salty! It really depends on how long a bottle stays open for. If I've split it with a friend it can disappear rather quickly. Cask strength whiskies do seem to retain their flavour and vibrancy much longer than lower abv stuff. The oldest bottle on my shelf is roughly 3 years old, I believe. I never gas or decant. I should. They work and it's a great way to avoid "flatness." Cheers buddy! 🥃
@@Gwhisky speaking about flatness. I think many of us have at one point or other left some whisky in a glass overnight or maybe longer. I know , some will say that’s heresy!
Anyhow , I don’t take much notice of what whisky does what. I have noticed that many will be utterly flat. While a select few will either be better or no worse for ware. Those later ones are few though. That I can remember most recently, Balblair 12 was cloudy but still going strong after almost two days in a glencairn (w/lid)! Glengarioch founders reserve was way better after a day in the glass (w/lid). Makes me wonder if you could make a video on bottles that get much better as the volume goes down past or around half. Not sure if other reviewers have devoted time to this. It is important however as many of us would like to know what bottles to finish quicker and which ones benefit the long approach .
Have to agree. The earlier bottles tasted like a sherry overcoat, my last bottle is definitely more settled and drinkable. At the price point it is a good easy sipper but do not expect that wow you get with the 18. Now I really wish they would add a 14 or 15 to the range again, the 18 is such a jump (and now costs around €150 IF you can get it (the 21 is actually cheaper)). I guess they have a plan...
Sounds like we're on the same page! And YES... I'd love to see a 15 from them! Hopefully a spiritual successor to the 14 will make an appearance someday. 🥃
There is a new 18 out. It is a more bourbon and sherry release. Around €110. The old sherried 18 is around 150. About 3 years ago i bought 2 bottles of it for €125.(whished i bought more) Prices of 18 years and older whiskies have gone up very fast. I am not buying at such high prices anymore (never say never). Some shops you can find bottles at the old prices. They are now my favourite kind of places😆
@@lucienvisser5405 I cannot find the 18 other than those over priced dark sherry versions. I still have a couple but they go down quickly 🤔
@@NeilImmortal it has been released oktober/november last year. It is rather scarce. I just came across it by accident. But pricewise it goes in the direction of the sherried 18. Enjoy your bottles, i have one left for a rainy day. Perhaps we were spoiled with so many great stuff. All aged whiskies nowadays i tend to avoid buying. It is to much for a bottle of alcohol. I cant complain. I have more than enough bottles old and young to last me the rest of my drinking life.
@@lucienvisser5405 Yeh, I have enough for now and my €90 Arran 18's will be all the more sweet ;)
Hi Geoff, I've enjoyed your review videos and I got to wonder if buying whiskey online is common in Taiwan and if so, if you could recommend a website or two. It's so ridiculus to be a whiskey drinker in South Korea due to the messed up tax system on liquor! (for example, this Arran Sherry Cask is around 200CAD from a cheapest store in Seoul) A lot of Korean whiskey drinkers rely on European websites but their shipping costs are usually over 40 Euros so I was just thinking if it's viable to try a Taiwanese market though the tariffs would be still quite unbelievable.
Hi Juntae. Unfortunately I don't know of any shops that ship outside of the country, but there may be some. I've never had a need for such a service, although it's possible. 🥃
Your notes remind me of Glenallachie 8, have you tried it to say how Arran compares to it? I'm continuing my search for a good quality (integrity) sherried whisky that won't break the bank. BTW the Isle of Arran is below the highland fault line, as it's south-east of Glasgow, so technically it's a lowland island 😃
I much prefer this to GlenAllachie 8! 🥃
Hi Jeff:
What year is this Arran sherry cask? 2022??
Thanks
John
It's 2021. 🥃
So what would be the first thing you’d grab at this price point?
Currently I might go for the Craigellachie 13 Armagnac. Roughly the same price and a great whisky. 🥃
Thinamon is delicious!
The betht!
Active Casks = A Whisky Cocktail
Lol I don't mind some, but I know what you mean. 🥃
@@Gwhisky I know you do. It's crazy that so many seem to be obsessed with chasing flavors other than the spirit.
I’m afraid I don’t get that comment .. “Active casks = A whisky cocktail”? So active casks are bad because they mask the spirit? Really?
What was the date on your bottle? I just bought one.. :)
This was from 2022. 🥃
@@Gwhisky Just took a look at my bottle 2021.... It's fairly sharp and hot. The sherry influence isn't too strong but it's enough to cover the natural distillate flavor. :/ Not really enjoying, probably will improve a bit once it opens up. The Quarter Cask bottle I really like though!
I can see your struggle with "Value" part of the review, this bottle of Shirley's Cask is a good whisky but at over NTD.2100 in Taiwan it does make you hesitate.
Yeah but it's comparatively cheaper in a lot of other markets. But yes, a bit steep here compared to other Arrans. 🥃
Your stick around seemed more authoritative (authoritarian?).
Love your take on things. You are ruining my liver :)
Lol the power of 6k+ subs has clearly gone to my head. 😂
Thanks for watching, Andy! 🥃
Pay an extra 30£ and get the 18 😊
@Auberginenpeter I live just a few miles from Arran , the sherry cask is 65£ and the 18 is £ 95, , recently I bought the sherry and quarter cask directly from the distillery for 125 for the pair ,, getting a hold of the 18 is a difficult even direct from the distillery, some online shops are asking silly prices,, what I meant is ,,if you like the sherry cask the 18 is definitely worth investing in
@Auberginenpeter haha , buy two , lol , great price for a true integrity malt , I have them all , ,the Sauternes is my favourite of the Arran NAS range , but I enjoy them all
Feels like Scottish distilleries are hesitant to put an age statement on a bottle under 10 years
Well we have got a few 8 year olds and Ardbeg has their Wee Beastie. But yeah... doesn't seem like anyone's rushing to advertise their under-10s.
...Yet???
Cheers Wade! 🥃
Becouse there in no need i hate when they put age statement under 10 years on a bottle please keep it or no age statement 10 12 15 18 21 25 30 40 50 years old
Hello Geoff, .again a very informative and funny Video.
Unfortunately this Bottle is waiting in my Shelf for now 3Years and i dont think i can open it this Year because too many more interesting Bottles waiting there🫣😅.
Thanks for your Video about it.
Again.😉
You've got remarkable restraint when it comes to holding on to bottles. Well done, buddy! Hah. 🥃
@@GwhiskyNo thats not the Case. There are just too many Bottles open and waiting untouched. I wish (and my Girl too 😜) i had remarkable restraint with buying Bottles. 🤣😂
Cheers to you 🥃