For me this is the best 10 year old I’ve had. I’m onto my third bottle of the Arran. I took a punt on the 21 year old as well a few months ago and that’s great too! And the value for money is spot on.
Hi Geoff, great video as always. It is great that you revise your opinions about previous labels, it is normal to change conclusions about a label after sometime tasting it and other whiskies/batches. Cheers from Mexico!
Well whiskies change, as do our preferences over time. It's important to keep an open mind. A score only represents how I feel about a whisky at a certain point in time. Cheers from Taiwan!
Great whisky. Keeps developing in the bottle once opened. I'm totally with you on the apricot and orchard vibe. There is a very nice thickness or viscosity to it you rarely find in a 10yo. And that for that price. Hard to beat.
Really interesting point about batch variation. And you could argue that anything other than a solera system IS a batch release :-) they just don't tell us the number. Providing they don't release any total duds I'm sure the majority of people will either not notice or will realise that a bit of variation is natural and even preferable. Compared to your example of Glenmorangie 10 I wouldn't be surprised if the batch variation is down to vatting size. With enough casks you can average out all manner of horrors :-) but is that really what we want? I haven't tried the Arran 10 since before the rebrand but it's high on my list of malts to revisit now. Cheers!
I'm sure stuff like vatting size is a factor, and you could make the point that any release is a batch release. Of course there are always variations in whisky. But I'd argue that some are more consistent than others. Even naturally presented whiskies like Glencadam 10 or Bunnahabhain 12 I find to be much more consistent than the Arran 10 release, which seems to be noticeably different with each bottle I have. Cheers!
Another great review man! Possibly the best 10 year old on the market that also bests a ton of 12 years olds out there IMO. Good to see the craft approach is paying off for them. If the big distilleries aren't paying attention to what Arran is doing they've lost the plot. Cheers!
Totally agree. Glad to see that most new distilleries are taking the Arran approach. Best way to get the "whisky snobs" like us on their side. I'm sure it'll pay off for them down the line. Cheers Lewis! 🥃
At a whisky festival I had the privelege of being able to sample the 10, the 14, the 18, the 21 in succession... twice in a row. The 10 was my favorite. For that price it's unbeatable as an entry scotch, or one that you want to gift someone who you don't know really likes scotch and might mix it with coke.
Great re-review. I recently talked through a bit of this for Robbie Burns day. I have not had enough of this release to pick up the batch variation. Thanks for sharing!
Another good review, Geoff. I have both the Arran 10 and the Glencadam 10 on my shelf - but they are both "first times buys", so I have nothing to compare them with. I'm out in Spain right now for my winter break - four weeks in glorious sunshine. My local bar (so local, it's next door!) had an extremely limited selection of whiskies (no single malts) and I told them so. Suddenly, a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 has appeared behind the bar. And of course, they do not use standard measures - what they pour is the equivalent of four measures in England. Ask for a double and you're getting almost a quarter of the bottle! Last night was a good night! Slainte!
Hah Victor out here living his best life. Cheers, my friend. Sounds like you're having a hell of a trip. Enjoy the sunshine and generous pours. Jealous! 🥃
I love Arran. Arran 10 is the malt whisky with the best price/quality ratio on Bulgarian market. For ~27 euros one simply cannot get anything better. As a matter of fact it is even better than many more expensive malts. So far I have bought 9 different expressions of Arran and tasted 4 of them. Some I like better than others, naturally, but quality has always been there. I have tasted pre-rebranding Arran 10 and the new one head-to-head, but haven't compared different batches of the new one although I have the bottles in the stash. I found the old Arran 10 to be like fresh, juicy fruit salad and the new one like tartelette with chocolate biscuit cup filled with vanilla cream with fresh fruits on top. Love them both. I have poured a couple of 0.5 cl sample bottles of the old one to have them as a reference. Cheers!
Yeah Arran is great, and the 10 has always been good. I like your descriptions. I'd say that the older ones were a bit zestier, and the newer ones more sweet and complex. Those sample bottles of the old 10 should be useful for a side-by-side at some point! Cheers! 🥃
Arran 10 and Glencadam 10 are two of my favorite go-to whiskies. I agree, the Arran is marginally more complex. Cask prep maybe. The Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012 is another beauty, albeit only 8 y.o. Be interested in your take on that.
I love this review Geoff. It reminds me of my high score for my Billy Walker 12 Glendronach..I have 5 liters and drank 3 liters over the past 2 years. My point is they all have the exact same bottling date laser etch in the bottle. I have no idea what other GD12s are like...just mine. I asked my whisky guy to try and import Arran10 and the rest of the core range. He did message me today he could get Glenallichie.. That made me happy. This is an important video and your point about Glenmorangie etc..was a good one. I really want to try the Arran 10 from any damn batch.. But, I will settle, for now, on my great single malts I can buy here. Cheers buddy!
Well hopefully that GlenAllachie delivers if you can get your hands on a bottle. Much like this Arran, a lot of the bottlings are different. Thanks for watching Jeff, always good to hear from you and read about your Cambodian adventures! 🥃
So far on my first bottle of it. Got it last Xmas. I agree great whisky. I don't get the fruity notes but I get the caramel/vanilla notes. It is just damn tasty
Honestly nothing beats going up to the arran distillery in lochranza. Its in the hills away from everything, i love sitting outside in silence enjoying the beautiful nature and high level whisky, it truly is my happy place and i will hopefully be visiting again in the summer
Geoff, straight from the brand ambassador. The 10 yr old is 10yrs in ex bourbon and then a "percentage" of these casks are finished for 6-12 mths in first fill oloroso. Source: The Whisky Company Arran Virtual tasting YT video around the 3.30 mark.
This one is close to my heart as it’s the closest distillery to where I was born in Ayrshire and the whisky they produce is spectacular. I’ve had a few bottles of the 10yo and it never disappoints. Thanks for the review.
@@Gwhisky sadly (in some ways) I no longer live in Scotland, I emigrated to Australia 16 years ago but I can still get Arran 10yo here. Just discovered your channel today! Don’t know how I missed it! Working my way through your videos now. Great stuff.
Thanks Geoff, I've pretty much got the set below 18 yr.. All great, The sherry is a favourite. The Bothy is higher ABV definitely worth the price. Even the cheaper barrel reserve as a quaffer for the whiskey club or that thirsty visitor.
I haven't forgotten the promise of NZ / Aust drams ...sadly I won't be financial enough to send you full bottles .. I ( and my whiskey club mates) have to sample them first... trying to get some other samples in smaller bottles... cheers and stand by.
Hi Geoff, yes its always good to go back and compare, I took an earlier (bought about 3/4 ?,years ago) and a recent bottle (bought last year) and got my daughter to prepare a blind comparison for me. Both were good and the earlier version came out on top , wasn’t really expecting that. So enough of my nonsense Geoff, great review, respect to your tasting abilities, slàinte mhath.
I loved the older ones. Much zestier. A bit of sharpness, but also more bourbon-forward in some ways brighter. I might have drawn the same conclusion myself from your tasting. Lots of variation with the Arran 10, both old and new. Cheers David! 🥃
After the OSWA awards and Ralfy's review, I bought a bottle and was not disappointed. Well worth the $60 price. Need to explore other Arran expressions!
Interesting review. I might need to revisit this one. Really enjoyed my last bottle but would have rated it a bit behind my favourite "entry level" bottles, the Deanston 12 and Glencadam 10. Sounds like this is one that keeps improving.
Great re-review Geoff. It goes without saying every malt enthusiast that has praised Arran 10 has said something to Arran about not messing it up and not to raise price. Let's hope it stays that way for those looking for quality at an affordable price. I have an old version and the new one and the old has settled beautifully over the past few months. The new is still new at the shoulder right now but there are incredible similarities which suggests, it's just image and bottle refresh and Arran has not altered the liquid. Good value overall for the quality you get in Arran 10. I have Sherry Bodega and also 18 that I have yet to crack open. I am looking to acquire their quarter cask which has also seen high praises from the whisky community.
Thanks Rohit. I'd agree that I don't think there was a sudden drastic change in the formula when they rebranded. There's been a shift in flavour over the years, which is to be expected though. I've found a good amount of variation among Arran 10 bottlings. I'd say that generally the older ones were a bit zestier, while the newer ones are more rounded and complex. Appreciate your input and thanks for watching. I'm sure you'll enjoy the 18, it's fantastic, and the Quarter Cask is definitely worth checking out! 🥃
I’m relatively new to single malt. I tried Macallan double cask, Deanston 12, Arran 10, Bunnahabhain 12 and Ledaig 10. The Arran 10 remains my favourite and Ledaig 10 comes in second. Where does one go from here?
Lots of great entry level directions to take! Glencadam 10 (bright & clean), Talisker 10 (gently peated/maritime), Royal Brackla 12 (big sherry), Port Charlotte 10 (big peat), Kilchoman Sanaig (peat & sherry). Really depends on your preferences! 🥃
I've only ever had the older previous labelling of Arran 10 and 14 - both very quaffable - good to put them in a flight with Glencadam 10, Ancnoc 12 and Clynelish 14 as there are lots of flavours/nosing notes to compare and contrast. Haven't had the new one yet but on the to-get list for 2022. Cheers!
Nice info! Usually I hate inconsistency, especially for delicious whisky because expectation is high when re-trying. I haven't finished my current Arran 10yo bottle, and it's my favorite 10yo. (even if someone say it's a 18yo whisky on blind tasting, I'll totally agree.) Hope it will be always good even in different way!
In my experience they've all been good, so I can't really be upset. But like you, the bottle I've got now is the best I've had from them. Who knows what the next one will be like? Hah.
Great review Geoff. Very nice entry level whisky and absolutely vfm. I finished it some months ago and I bought one right after. Based on your reviews my plan is to buy the arran 18. I would like your opinion for glenfarclas 15 (which I really liked) and 21 which I have not tried yet.
Thanks Kwstas. A review of the 15 is coming down the pipeline. I've got an open bottle on the go. The 21 I haven't had in ages, so I can't comment on it. 🥃
you are right about the differece between each bottling, because the 750ml bottle i got in States, the color is totally different with what you shown in video, color of 750ml bottling is straw,
Speaking of bottle variation, what do the distillers do when they have multiple casks of the same whisky? Do they combine them all into a larger vessel for filtering and diluting before bottling, or do they bottle each cask separately?
Good question. The Arran 10 would be composed of a certain number of bourbon casks and a certain number of sherry cask finished whiskies, etc. I'm guessing they combine the same formula and release it at various intervals to meet demand forecasts. I'm not an expert, though. 🥃
I asked James McTaggart few years ago and the bottle you reviewed is 80 % bourbon and 20% sherry they only use first fills and second fill sherry The sherry cask comes from toneelaria del Sur, a smal l family company in Spain
I'd say that the bottle looks like a cider vinegar bottle. I managed to corral a Bothy QC. I tried it and found it fine, but not enticing enough to tempt me back for second and third trials. I'm going to have to go back and pull out that bottle for more interactions. I think the Glencadam 10 outshines the Arran Bothy QC by far. Love that Glencaddam 10.
For some reason I can’t find the new bottle at any of the Total Wine stores in my area. They only have the older bottle with the green label. Any thoughts? I live in Florida if that means anything. Thanks.
A nice luxury when the flavor ranges from good to great, and the price is so affordable. Any standard bottlings out there that you’ve noticed can range from bad to good? Some Springbank 15’s to me have ranged from ok to great, but at the price that means the value has ranged from “stab me in the eye” to good.
I find that more prominent with newer distilleries. Kilchoman is a good example. I've had both good and (relatively) bad bottles of sanaig. Generally I'm a big fan of it, but I've come across some lesser stuff. Springbank 15 is notoriously inconsistent. Good example! 🥃
@@Gwhisky great call on Sanaig. Had a mediocre sample from a distiller tasting pack, but was pleasantly surprised at a great dram from a friend’s bottle.
@@MaltDaddy The last time I checked they had it at 風格菸酒大安店. The bottle in my review was from 珈品洋酒 on 永康街. It might be a good idea to call in advance to make sure though...
I struggle with this particular note in Arran 10... this massive American Oak touch. At the moment i would definitely prefer Glencadam 10. Arran 10 is some massive stuff, but it lacks harmony. Zeitgeist i guess ;)
Apparently, it is extremely difficult to maintain the exact same flavor profile when it is non-chill filtered. Which makes sense because it is impossible to quality check the compounds that persist in the distillate and changes due to the oak influence. I have definitely noticed chill filtered whiskies tend to be more consistent across different lots and batches than chill filtered ones. But then, that is the trade off. Big flavors that may vary or the consistent insipid swills. I would prefer the former every time. Arran 10 is definitely the best among the more affordable and ubiquitous 10's out there. The SB10 and Bladnoch 10 are slightly better but the SB is overpriced here in the US and difficult to find while the Bladnoch is discontinued. The Glencadam is another lovely dram. slightly more expensive than the Arran10 in the online markets here. Btw, your tasting notes reminded me of Nick Cage in Face Off saying "Peach, I can eat a peach, for hours..."
I agree, naturally presented whisky does tend to have a more "volatile" flavour profile. That being said, I'd say some brands have nailed down the consistency more than others. I think you'll find a lot more variation with an Arran 10 that with the Glencadam 10, the Bunna 12, Deanston 12, etc. Still a great pour, though. Cheers!
Different. The Craigellachie is sharper, more rugged, and honestly more challenging. The Arran is more complex and mouth coating. It depends on my mood, although overall I find the Craigellachie more “more-ish” these days. 🥃
No ten here. Now, at least. Arran seems to have a lot of specialty offerings, but only one dated aged offering, the 18. I'm looking to snag a Bothy QC, but they'll need to restock, as what is available is more than half a state away. I'll have to nudge the local operator to put in a request. I think I'd rather pick up a 10, before rushing to the 18 y.o. The HP18 is vying for the spot. As is Ancnoc 18.
That's funny. The 10 is everywhere here and I can never find the 18. The 10 is definitely the best place to start. Hopefully your state gets some in stock soon. A great intro to a great house style. 🥃
@@Gwhisky Thanks Geoff! Yea, I was thinking the 10yr maybe better for novices but I want to challenge them too! And k.i.m I get to keep the leftovers : ) I can also get the Sauternes finish for $60 which throws another wrench in it! I'll figure it out. Thanks and Cheers!
Glenmorangie 10 at 86 proof fake color and chill filtered vs Arrran 10 at 92, unchillfiltered, natural color? Arran all the way. Years ago Arran 14 was best value on the market except for Deanston 12
I Find it strange, this whisky is decent and I came across the Oswa awards and it was very highly ranked, however I consider a Glen Garioch 12a much better whisky for the dame price, and O diid not see it even mentioned in yhose awatfs.
Yeah I've had bottles where I thought more sherry was coming through, and others where I got more bourbon influence. Interesting to note the changes between bottles. Always good, though!
Confess time. I liked Arran 10 more than 18 (I get the cask difference tho) ... Awesome stuff beats lot of aged competitors. Next step will be the 21 expect the complexity pumped by refinement( I figured the recipe of ex bourbon and sherry casks being my top one )
Fair enough, the 18 is heavily sherried and not for everyone. I'm excited to get my hands on a bottle of the 21 too. Unfortunately it's very hard to come by in my market. Cheers!
"Cheap" ? In NYC it's $65. It's a delicious malt, but that's about $27 more than Glencadam 10, and about $15 than the better (IMO) Bunnahabhain 12. Arran 10 was a $35 when I started drinking it, but that was many moons and several rebrandings ago. It's lovely stuff, and worth trying in its current incarnation, but I'm afraid Arran suddenly thinks it's Springbank, and that's fine, but I can't afford to keep it in heavy-rotation or to recommend it to those on a budget ✌️
I have a hard time with things, not just whiskies, which are over-hyped, and I feel like Arran is on the verge of that. $65 for a 10, $150 for a 15, $300 for a 21 if you can find it. Come on. Should I also mention how the mention of "Billy Walker" triggers me? Lol
Keep in mind that New York is a very particular market. As far as I know, this remains pretty cheap in most other markets, mine included. In fact, this costs the same now as it did about 10 years ago, and that's frankly amazing. In fact, I usually pay about USD $10 more for the Glencadam 10 than I do the Arran 10!
@@Gwhisky That is odd. $65 for Arran 10 may have been a bit more than the national average, but given that it's an exceptionally hard bottle to track down in NYC (what else is new), and given the recent praise of the new bottling by online reviewers, that's what I wound up paying. I don't regret it, but I wouldn't pay that much again.
Arran 10 is $60 at the major stores in the Chicago area. I was able to get a price match of $50 on my last bottle. My first bottle a couple years at was $40. Glencadam is $45 at the same major liquor chain and currently on sale for $40. The Arran 14, 18 and 21 are $140, $160 and $200, respectively, in my area and the bottles are somewhat to very scarce.
@@xiamengbaby Thanks for that info, good to know. Again, pretty pricey stuff across the board as I see it. I don't begrudge Arran for trying to cash in on this wave of success (?), but there are equally pedigreed and delicious (subjective) malts out there for less, like this channel's WOTY, Craigellachie 13. I'm not one to nickel & dime a whisky, but I buy a fair amount of the stuff, so $10 here and $20 there adds up over time.
I was not all that impressed with the Arron 10. I bought it because several people like yourself gave it a good review. I was not all that impressed it could have been the bottle I bought. I also was not impressed so just maybe I need to change my spirit selection.
I described two other bottles that I scored 86 and 87 and spent several minutes describing that the whisky is inconsistent. I made a point about how the score applies to this bottle specifically. I also stressed it's the best bottle I've had. It wasn't a generalized score, which would be lower.
Unfortunately the latest batch is just bland, overly oaky, too spirity and that's about it... I assume their success with the 10 is haunting Arran, I'm pretty sure their desperately using about any cask they can
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Glad to find this review. A buddy and I love the Arran 10! It's one of those bottles we love to try and re-buy after we run out.
For me this is the best 10 year old I’ve had. I’m onto my third bottle of the Arran. I took a punt on the 21 year old as well a few months ago and that’s great too! And the value for money is spot on.
Good to hear! Still haven't grabbed a bottle of the 21 just yet. Definitely on the wishlist, though! 🥃
Hi Geoff, great video as always. It is great that you revise your opinions about previous labels, it is normal to change conclusions about a label after sometime tasting it and other whiskies/batches. Cheers from Mexico!
Well whiskies change, as do our preferences over time. It's important to keep an open mind. A score only represents how I feel about a whisky at a certain point in time. Cheers from Taiwan!
Great whisky. Keeps developing in the bottle once opened. I'm totally with you on the apricot and orchard vibe. There is a very nice thickness or viscosity to it you rarely find in a 10yo. And that for that price. Hard to beat.
Well said! 🥃
Check the thickness in the Kilchoman Sanaig. That is the thickest whisky I know.
Really interesting point about batch variation. And you could argue that anything other than a solera system IS a batch release :-) they just don't tell us the number.
Providing they don't release any total duds I'm sure the majority of people will either not notice or will realise that a bit of variation is natural and even preferable. Compared to your example of Glenmorangie 10 I wouldn't be surprised if the batch variation is down to vatting size. With enough casks you can average out all manner of horrors :-) but is that really what we want?
I haven't tried the Arran 10 since before the rebrand but it's high on my list of malts to revisit now. Cheers!
I'm sure stuff like vatting size is a factor, and you could make the point that any release is a batch release. Of course there are always variations in whisky. But I'd argue that some are more consistent than others. Even naturally presented whiskies like Glencadam 10 or Bunnahabhain 12 I find to be much more consistent than the Arran 10 release, which seems to be noticeably different with each bottle I have. Cheers!
Another great review man! Possibly the best 10 year old on the market that also bests a ton of 12 years olds out there IMO. Good to see the craft approach is paying off for them. If the big distilleries aren't paying attention to what Arran is doing they've lost the plot. Cheers!
Totally agree. Glad to see that most new distilleries are taking the Arran approach. Best way to get the "whisky snobs" like us on their side. I'm sure it'll pay off for them down the line. Cheers Lewis! 🥃
Agree Lewis, love what they are doing. I've got this one in my top three, but I think Ledaig 10 is the best 10 on the market. Cheers!
At a whisky festival I had the privelege of being able to sample the 10, the 14, the 18, the 21 in succession... twice in a row. The 10 was my favorite. For that price it's unbeatable as an entry scotch, or one that you want to gift someone who you don't know really likes scotch and might mix it with coke.
If money wasn't an issue, which age would you choose?
@@andyirons7162 3 bottles of the 10.
One of the best out there! For the price /quality is a bargain! My wife also enjoys it
Great re-review. I recently talked through a bit of this for Robbie Burns day. I have not had enough of this release to pick up the batch variation. Thanks for sharing!
I watched your Burns night video. Good celebratory pick! Cheers!
Another good review, Geoff. I have both the Arran 10 and the Glencadam 10 on my shelf - but they are both "first times buys", so I have nothing to compare them with. I'm out in Spain right now for my winter break - four weeks in glorious sunshine. My local bar (so local, it's next door!) had an extremely limited selection of whiskies (no single malts) and I told them so. Suddenly, a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 has appeared behind the bar. And of course, they do not use standard measures - what they pour is the equivalent of four measures in England.
Ask for a double and you're getting almost a quarter of the bottle! Last night was a good night! Slainte!
Hah Victor out here living his best life. Cheers, my friend. Sounds like you're having a hell of a trip. Enjoy the sunshine and generous pours. Jealous! 🥃
I love Arran. Arran 10 is the malt whisky with the best price/quality ratio on Bulgarian market. For ~27 euros one simply cannot get anything better. As a matter of fact it is even better than many more expensive malts. So far I have bought 9 different expressions of Arran and tasted 4 of them. Some I like better than others, naturally, but quality has always been there. I have tasted pre-rebranding Arran 10 and the new one head-to-head, but haven't compared different batches of the new one although I have the bottles in the stash. I found the old Arran 10 to be like fresh, juicy fruit salad and the new one like tartelette with chocolate biscuit cup filled with vanilla cream with fresh fruits on top. Love them both. I have poured a couple of 0.5 cl sample bottles of the old one to have them as a reference.
Cheers!
Yeah Arran is great, and the 10 has always been good. I like your descriptions. I'd say that the older ones were a bit zestier, and the newer ones more sweet and complex. Those sample bottles of the old 10 should be useful for a side-by-side at some point! Cheers! 🥃
Arran 10 and Glencadam 10 are two of my favorite go-to whiskies. I agree, the Arran is marginally more complex. Cask prep maybe. The Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012 is another beauty, albeit only 8 y.o. Be interested in your take on that.
I've done the 2011 and I loved it. I'm sure to get around to the 2012 at some point! Cheers!
I love this review Geoff.
It reminds me of my high score for my Billy Walker 12 Glendronach..I have 5 liters and drank 3 liters over the past 2 years.
My point is they all have the exact same bottling date laser etch in the bottle.
I have no idea what other GD12s are like...just mine.
I asked my whisky guy to try and import Arran10 and the rest of the core range.
He did message me today he could get Glenallichie..
That made me happy.
This is an important video and your point about Glenmorangie etc..was a good one.
I really want to try the Arran 10 from any damn batch..
But, I will settle, for now, on my great single malts I can buy here.
Cheers buddy!
Well hopefully that GlenAllachie delivers if you can get your hands on a bottle. Much like this Arran, a lot of the bottlings are different. Thanks for watching Jeff, always good to hear from you and read about your Cambodian adventures! 🥃
Great whiskey for good price. ATM on my 1st bottle, but got few for replacement already. Great videos, thanks!
Have a bottle of the old 10. Its very good...but the 14 was amazing. I hope they bring it back one day
Man that 14 was great. Sorely missed...
So far on my first bottle of it. Got it last Xmas. I agree great whisky. I don't get the fruity notes but I get the caramel/vanilla notes. It is just damn tasty
Honestly nothing beats going up to the arran distillery in lochranza. Its in the hills away from everything, i love sitting outside in silence enjoying the beautiful nature and high level whisky, it truly is my happy place and i will hopefully be visiting again in the summer
Sounds amazing!
Geoff, straight from the brand ambassador. The 10 yr old is 10yrs in ex bourbon and then a "percentage" of these casks are finished for 6-12 mths in first fill oloroso. Source: The Whisky Company Arran Virtual tasting YT video around the 3.30 mark.
That's awesome! Thanks for the info, Travis. Much apperciated! 🙏
This one is close to my heart as it’s the closest distillery to where I was born in Ayrshire and the whisky they produce is spectacular. I’ve had a few bottles of the 10yo and it never disappoints. Thanks for the review.
Wow, lucky you! Easy access to the good stuff! Thanks for watching, Dave! 🥃
@@Gwhisky sadly (in some ways) I no longer live in Scotland, I emigrated to Australia 16 years ago but I can still get Arran 10yo here. Just discovered your channel today! Don’t know how I missed it! Working my way through your videos now. Great stuff.
Thanks! Happy to hear you like the content! 🥃
Thanks Geoff, I've pretty much got the set below 18 yr.. All great, The sherry is a favourite. The Bothy is higher ABV definitely worth the price. Even the cheaper barrel reserve as a quaffer for the whiskey club or that thirsty visitor.
Agree. Arran can basically do no wrong. Some expressions are better than other, obviously, but their baseline of quality is extremely high. Cheers!
I haven't forgotten the promise of NZ / Aust drams ...sadly I won't be financial enough to send you full bottles .. I ( and my whiskey club mates) have to sample them first... trying to get some other samples in smaller bottles... cheers and stand by.
great review! cant wait for kavalan reviews!
Cheers Andrei!
Hope you rate the cork on it to next time !
(Cardhu has one of the better corks xD)
Hi Geoff, yes its always good to go back and compare, I took an earlier (bought about 3/4 ?,years ago) and a recent bottle (bought last year) and got my daughter to prepare a blind comparison for me. Both were good and the earlier version came out on top , wasn’t really expecting that. So enough of my nonsense Geoff, great review, respect to your tasting abilities, slàinte mhath.
I loved the older ones. Much zestier. A bit of sharpness, but also more bourbon-forward in some ways brighter. I might have drawn the same conclusion myself from your tasting. Lots of variation with the Arran 10, both old and new. Cheers David! 🥃
After the OSWA awards and Ralfy's review, I bought a bottle and was not disappointed. Well worth the $60 price. Need to explore other Arran expressions!
The brand is excellent on the whole. Enjoy the journey! 🥃
Interesting review. I might need to revisit this one. Really enjoyed my last bottle but would have rated it a bit behind my favourite "entry level" bottles, the Deanston 12 and Glencadam 10. Sounds like this is one that keeps improving.
Well it's always good, just varying levels of good. Heh. Cheers Sam. 🥃
Try the ledaig 10 You won't regret it
@@outdoorsummiteer399 I've had the Ledaig - fantastic stuff as you say. Would rate the Port Charlotte 10 maybe even higher.
@@sambrewster8556 that's interesting I'm gonna put a order in for that now. Never heard of Port Charlotte before, what Abv? Is it unchilled filtered?
@@outdoorsummiteer399 50% ABV, natural colour, non chill filtered. It's peated Bruichladdich, a bit like Ledaig is Tobermory's peated version.
Great re-review Geoff. It goes without saying every malt enthusiast that has praised Arran 10 has said something to Arran about not messing it up and not to raise price. Let's hope it stays that way for those looking for quality at an affordable price. I have an old version and the new one and the old has settled beautifully over the past few months. The new is still new at the shoulder right now but there are incredible similarities which suggests, it's just image and bottle refresh and Arran has not altered the liquid. Good value overall for the quality you get in Arran 10. I have Sherry Bodega and also 18 that I have yet to crack open. I am looking to acquire their quarter cask which has also seen high praises from the whisky community.
Thanks Rohit. I'd agree that I don't think there was a sudden drastic change in the formula when they rebranded. There's been a shift in flavour over the years, which is to be expected though. I've found a good amount of variation among Arran 10 bottlings. I'd say that generally the older ones were a bit zestier, while the newer ones are more rounded and complex. Appreciate your input and thanks for watching. I'm sure you'll enjoy the 18, it's fantastic, and the Quarter Cask is definitely worth checking out! 🥃
@@Gwhisky Totally agree re: older bottling being zestier!
I rated the Arran 10 an 8.7 and Glencadam 10 an 8.4.
But the Arran 10 &12 James mctaggart editions a 9.3 & 9.6. :D
Awesome! Haven't tried those. 🥃
I’m relatively new to single malt. I tried Macallan double cask, Deanston 12, Arran 10, Bunnahabhain 12 and Ledaig 10. The Arran 10 remains my favourite and Ledaig 10 comes in second. Where does one go from here?
Lots of great entry level directions to take! Glencadam 10 (bright & clean), Talisker 10 (gently peated/maritime), Royal Brackla 12 (big sherry), Port Charlotte 10 (big peat), Kilchoman Sanaig (peat & sherry). Really depends on your preferences! 🥃
@@Gwhisky wow thank you for the thoughtful response Geoff. I’ll study your recommendations.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching! 🥃
I opened the Arran Quarter Cask last night for my Friday night dram. It’s fantastic.
Its excellent! 🥃
I've only ever had the older previous labelling of Arran 10 and 14 - both very quaffable - good to put them in a flight with Glencadam 10, Ancnoc 12 and Clynelish 14 as there are lots of flavours/nosing notes to compare and contrast. Haven't had the new one yet but on the to-get list for 2022. Cheers!
Cheers Declan. That sounds like a fun flight! 🥃
Best bang for your buck for sure! Awesome review ;)
Thanks J.K.!🙏
Nice info! Usually I hate inconsistency, especially for delicious whisky because expectation is high when re-trying. I haven't finished my current Arran 10yo bottle, and it's my favorite 10yo. (even if someone say it's a 18yo whisky on blind tasting, I'll totally agree.) Hope it will be always good even in different way!
In my experience they've all been good, so I can't really be upset. But like you, the bottle I've got now is the best I've had from them. Who knows what the next one will be like? Hah.
Great review Geoff. Very nice entry level whisky and absolutely vfm. I finished it some months ago and I bought one right after. Based on your reviews my plan is to buy the arran 18. I would like your opinion for glenfarclas 15 (which I really liked) and 21 which I have not tried yet.
Thanks Kwstas. A review of the 15 is coming down the pipeline. I've got an open bottle on the go. The 21 I haven't had in ages, so I can't comment on it. 🥃
It’s so good even the Snobs, the geeks and the jack A$$es agree on how good it is.
Great review, just getting into Arran, the 10yr is a wonderful dram, especially for the price, but the 18yr is my favourite, stunning dram
Love the 18! 🥃
Definitely gets my attention after I've got through the first half of the bottle and gets better from there.
Delicious fruity taste, very subtle. I like it a lot.
you are right about the differece between each bottling, because the 750ml bottle i got in States, the color is totally different with what you shown in video, color of 750ml bottling is straw,
Yeah some seem to be more sherry-forward, others more bourbon forward. It's noticeable in the colour!
Speaking of bottle variation, what do the distillers do when they have multiple casks of the same whisky? Do they combine them all into a larger vessel for filtering and diluting before bottling, or do they bottle each cask separately?
Good question. The Arran 10 would be composed of a certain number of bourbon casks and a certain number of sherry cask finished whiskies, etc. I'm guessing they combine the same formula and release it at various intervals to meet demand forecasts. I'm not an expert, though. 🥃
I asked James McTaggart few years ago and the bottle you reviewed is 80 % bourbon and 20% sherry they only use first fills and second fill sherry The sherry cask comes from toneelaria del Sur, a smal
l family company in Spain
Good to know! 🥃
I'd say that the bottle looks like a cider vinegar bottle. I managed to corral a Bothy QC. I tried it and found it fine, but not enticing enough to tempt me back for second and third trials. I'm going to have to go back and pull out that bottle for more interactions. I think the Glencadam 10 outshines the Arran Bothy QC by far. Love that Glencaddam 10.
Bladnoch was under consideration, and I did include Kingsbarns as my mystery pour! 🥃
For some reason I can’t find the new bottle at any of the Total Wine stores in my area. They only have the older bottle with the green label. Any thoughts? I live in Florida if that means anything. Thanks.
The older one is magic, too! Sharper and zestier, while the newer one has more cask influence. The old one is a beauty, too! 🥃
@@Gwhisky thanks, I will definitely try it out then.
A nice luxury when the flavor ranges from good to great, and the price is so affordable. Any standard bottlings out there that you’ve noticed can range from bad to good? Some Springbank 15’s to me have ranged from ok to great, but at the price that means the value has ranged from “stab me in the eye” to good.
I find that more prominent with newer distilleries. Kilchoman is a good example. I've had both good and (relatively) bad bottles of sanaig. Generally I'm a big fan of it, but I've come across some lesser stuff. Springbank 15 is notoriously inconsistent. Good example! 🥃
@@Gwhisky great call on Sanaig. Had a mediocre sample from a distiller tasting pack, but was pleasantly surprised at a great dram from a friend’s bottle.
I don't know, this new bottle just showed up locally. I have 2 of the old bottling ready to go. Really would rather add the 18 to my collection.
I mean, yeah. The 18 is amazing too. 🥃
Just wondering if this can still be purchased in Taipei? Been looking for these forever
It's still around in several shops in Taipei, although it's not as widely available as it was a few months back. 🥃
@@Gwhisky It would be appreciated if you can point me to the right direction/shop. thanks for the great reviews!
@@MaltDaddy The last time I checked they had it at 風格菸酒大安店. The bottle in my review was from 珈品洋酒 on 永康街. It might be a good idea to call in advance to make sure though...
I struggle with this particular note in Arran 10... this massive American Oak touch. At the moment i would definitely prefer Glencadam 10. Arran 10 is some massive stuff, but it lacks harmony. Zeitgeist i guess ;)
Apparently, it is extremely difficult to maintain the exact same flavor profile when it is non-chill filtered. Which makes sense because it is impossible to quality check the compounds that persist in the distillate and changes due to the oak influence. I have definitely noticed chill filtered whiskies tend to be more consistent across different lots and batches than chill filtered ones. But then, that is the trade off. Big flavors that may vary or the consistent insipid swills. I would prefer the former every time.
Arran 10 is definitely the best among the more affordable and ubiquitous 10's out there. The SB10 and Bladnoch 10 are slightly better but the SB is overpriced here in the US and difficult to find while the Bladnoch is discontinued. The Glencadam is another lovely dram. slightly more expensive than the Arran10 in the online markets here. Btw, your tasting notes reminded me of Nick Cage in Face Off saying "Peach, I can eat a peach, for hours..."
I agree, naturally presented whisky does tend to have a more "volatile" flavour profile. That being said, I'd say some brands have nailed down the consistency more than others. I think you'll find a lot more variation with an Arran 10 that with the Glencadam 10, the Bunna 12, Deanston 12, etc.
Still a great pour, though. Cheers!
How does this Arran 10 compare with the Craigellachie 13? Which is the more engaging?
Different. The Craigellachie is sharper, more rugged, and honestly more challenging. The Arran is more complex and mouth coating. It depends on my mood, although overall I find the Craigellachie more “more-ish” these days. 🥃
As long as it's quality every time, batch variations are a very exciting part of re-buying expressions for me.
(If you're re-buying.)
( Well, that's me anyway.)
That's the positive way to look at it!
Arran is good whisky , i liked ) good review Geoff , cheers )
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!
No ten here. Now, at least. Arran seems to have a lot of specialty offerings, but only one dated aged offering, the 18. I'm looking to snag a Bothy QC, but they'll need to restock, as what is available is more than half a state away. I'll have to nudge the local operator to put in a request. I think I'd rather pick up a 10, before rushing to the 18 y.o. The HP18 is vying for the spot. As is Ancnoc 18.
That's funny. The 10 is everywhere here and I can never find the 18. The 10 is definitely the best place to start. Hopefully your state gets some in stock soon. A great intro to a great house style. 🥃
Great whisky! Unfortunately can't find 18 locally(
It seems to come and go from markets quite a bit. It's rare here, and the odd store that does carry it overcharges...
The bottle I got for 2024 is very sharp and has a lot of bitter barrel tannins. Not well rounded at all. Not a fan.
My local shop only has the 12 and some older ones. So is the 12 good?
The old 12 cask strength? It's good. 🥃
Nice review, I can get this 10yr for $53 or the Bothy quarter cask for $9 more. Any thoughts? Anyone?
I like both. This is easier and rounder, but the Bothy has more bite to it.
@@Gwhisky Thanks Geoff! Yea, I was thinking the 10yr maybe better for novices but I want to challenge them too! And k.i.m I get to keep the leftovers : ) I can also get the Sauternes finish for $60 which throws another wrench in it! I'll figure it out. Thanks and Cheers!
Glenmorangie 10 at 86 proof fake color and chill filtered vs Arrran 10 at 92, unchillfiltered, natural color? Arran all the way. Years ago Arran 14 was best value on the market except for Deanston 12
I Find it strange, this whisky is decent and I came across the Oswa awards and it was very highly ranked, however I consider a Glen Garioch 12a much better whisky for the dame price, and O diid not see it even mentioned in yhose awatfs.
I must say I get more sherry than bourbon cask influence.I bought this first probably about 2 years ago prompted by Ralfy review.
Yeah I've had bottles where I thought more sherry was coming through, and others where I got more bourbon influence. Interesting to note the changes between bottles. Always good, though!
Can you consider reviewing Powers 12 John's Lane?
I'd love to, but it's only available from one retailer here and they grossly overcharge for it, unfortunately.
@@Gwhisky bummer
Confess time. I liked Arran 10 more than 18 (I get the cask difference tho) ... Awesome stuff beats lot of aged competitors. Next step will be the 21 expect the complexity pumped by refinement( I figured the recipe of ex bourbon and sherry casks being my top one )
Fair enough, the 18 is heavily sherried and not for everyone. I'm excited to get my hands on a bottle of the 21 too. Unfortunately it's very hard to come by in my market. Cheers!
I love the 18...but also prefer the 10. I think Arran does Bourbon forward expressions better than sherry forward expressions...
@@traviskingdon3636 for me it's all about the complexity. 10 yo presents it better compared to 18 yo, no matter how weird it sounds 😎
"Cheap" ? In NYC it's $65. It's a delicious malt, but that's about $27 more than Glencadam 10, and about $15 than the better (IMO) Bunnahabhain 12.
Arran 10 was a $35 when I started drinking it, but that was many moons and several rebrandings ago. It's lovely stuff, and worth trying in its current incarnation, but I'm afraid Arran suddenly thinks it's Springbank, and that's fine, but I can't afford to keep it in heavy-rotation or to recommend it to those on a budget ✌️
I have a hard time with things, not just whiskies, which are over-hyped, and I feel like Arran is on the verge of that. $65 for a 10, $150 for a 15, $300 for a 21 if you can find it.
Come on.
Should I also mention how the mention of "Billy Walker" triggers me? Lol
Keep in mind that New York is a very particular market. As far as I know, this remains pretty cheap in most other markets, mine included. In fact, this costs the same now as it did about 10 years ago, and that's frankly amazing. In fact, I usually pay about USD $10 more for the Glencadam 10 than I do the Arran 10!
@@Gwhisky That is odd. $65 for Arran 10 may have been a bit more than the national average, but given that it's an exceptionally hard bottle to track down in NYC (what else is new), and given the recent praise of the new bottling by online reviewers, that's what I wound up paying. I don't regret it, but I wouldn't pay that much again.
Arran 10 is $60 at the major stores in the Chicago area. I was able to get a price match of $50 on my last bottle. My first bottle a couple years at was $40. Glencadam is $45 at the same major liquor chain and currently on sale for $40. The Arran 14, 18 and 21 are $140, $160 and $200, respectively, in my area and the bottles are somewhat to very scarce.
@@xiamengbaby Thanks for that info, good to know. Again, pretty pricey stuff across the board as I see it. I don't begrudge Arran for trying to cash in on this wave of success (?), but there are equally pedigreed and delicious (subjective) malts out there for less, like this channel's WOTY, Craigellachie 13.
I'm not one to nickel & dime a whisky, but I buy a fair amount of the stuff, so $10 here and $20 there adds up over time.
I was not all that impressed with the Arron 10. I bought it because several people like yourself gave it a good review. I was not all that impressed it could have been the bottle I bought. I also was not impressed so just maybe I need to change my spirit selection.
Hey man you like what you like. Just because it works for me doesn't mean it will for everyone! 🥃
Give it another shot! My guess is that somehow you had a poor bottle. It is truly outstanding stuff. Really good.
were you not impressed?
Very interesting, indeed.
I'm not a big fan of Arran 10. I prefer Glencadam 10, Benriach 10...
Great whiskey this
Agree!
Ben Nevis 10 is what you need to seek out now
It's roughly USD $90/£67 where I live. I want to try it, bus is it worth that much?
@@Gwhisky where in the U.S. are they selling official bottlings of Ben Nevis 10? it's about 45 pounds in UK
Old bottling is much better!!!
There is no better 10 than Springbank 10.
I think that score is too high for a whisky without consistency. I would rate that whisky lower just for that.
I described two other bottles that I scored 86 and 87 and spent several minutes describing that the whisky is inconsistent. I made a point about how the score applies to this bottle specifically. I also stressed it's the best bottle I've had. It wasn't a generalized score, which would be lower.
whats with the sound bite of toad laughing in the background?
ruclips.net/video/YKlD7Ya7fKI/видео.htmlsi=cuL3YLJaM6QE6TRx&t=236
How could whisky be of great value...😂
Unfortunately the latest batch is just bland, overly oaky, too spirity and that's about it... I assume their success with the 10 is haunting Arran, I'm pretty sure their desperately using about any cask they can
It’s decent but soooo over rated
Overrated