Intro

We’re all familiar with local barley varities of our favorite brands. Today we’re visiting the Isle of Arran with their 10 year old local barley. It’s made with Optic barley.

Review

Tasting notes

On the nose, there’s plenty of white fruits together with ripe apples and some honeycomb sweetness. There’s also a cereal note lingering in the background, giving it a slightly malty character.

The palate starts with a little pepper before moving back into those apples once more. It’s creamy and buttery, with cereals returning again. Towards the end there’s a small bitterness from the oak, but nothing overpowering or unpleasant.

The finish is medium long, leaving behind honey together with some gentle oak spices.

Wrap up

The first Arran local barley is a very enjoyable dram which sits well at it’s 50% ABV. It’s one that can be enjoyed on various occasions, I’ve even enjoyed it in an Old Fashioned. It’s not a very complex whisky, but it’s a nice and smooth whisky that you can just sit and enjoy!

Score: 86/100