Arran 1999 14 Years Old SMWS 121.68

I’m guessing all of you know Arran, as well as the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Today well combine the two for, you’ll never guess it… a review of an SMWS-botling of Arran. The Arran 1999 14 Years Old with SMWS-number 121.68, to be more precise.

This being a bottling from the SMWS, it has a cutesy name: Harvesting Fruit on an Indian Summer’s Day. I guess this means I’m in for a fruity dram, perfect for a late summer day.

Arran 1999 14 Years Old (55%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, C#121.68)

Nose: Feint vanilla notes, accompanied by wood shavings. But those quickly make way for orchard fruits, mainly green apples, but also some freshly cut pears. Finally some green grapes, candied bananas, and wine gums. This is initially a little closed, but really opens up after ten minutes or so.
Taste: Sweet and fruity at first. Vanilla, bitter oranges and mangoes, with a healthy amount of black pepper, ginger and cinnamon appearing a little later on.
Finish: Spicy with a hint of vanilla.

Rating: 85

There’s a plenty of fruit here, but also a big amount of spices. The nose is fruitier, while spices highlight the palate. I prefer the nose, by a mile.

Thijs Klaverstijn

Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.

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