The other day hubby was watching his favorite whisky YouTuber Ralfy vlog about the 2023 winner of the Online Scotch Whisky Award. By the time he had finished watching the video he told me he had just bought a bottle from Amazon because it was on special offer 😏. Ok, I have to admit a reduction from £43 to £36 is a pretty good deal.
This is the Arran single malt 10 year old, it won the OSWA 2023, an award voted by the public whisky drinking community. Hubby took it to my brother-in-law's when we went over for dinner a few days later. Sharing always tastes better.
Arran is the name of an Island in Scotland, west of Glasgow. The distillery started in 1994, fairly young by comparison to some that's been around for centuries. The bottle design is pretty simple and informative, you know what you're getting immediately - a non chill filtered single malt 46% ABV 10 year old. That's basically all you need to know.
The logo is very contemporary, originally I thought it was the outline of the the Isle of Arran. After a bit of Googling, it turns out it's about the water source, one of the, if not the most important ingredient in whisky making. The six rings represents how the water travels from the source through six mountains. It gets purified more and more as it reaches the distillery, hence the inner rings being a sharper colour. The vat represents the distillery of course, and the eagles are apparently a big part of the distillery, resident birds from the beginning. They also have braille on the front.
Ok, let's move onto the most important part, whisky tasting. As many of you may know, I don't actually drink whisky, but I do enjoy writing about it coz hubs and my brother in laws collectively have a decent collection. I always try a couple of small sips because you can't write a whisky review without trying the stuff. First the smell, this didn't hit me across the head like some other whiskys, though it was pretty intense. I took a sip straight after we poured it out and I thought it tasted a little plastic at first. I've never experienced this before. Then I quickly got a hint of toffee. Then hubs suggested we add a drop of water. My second sip didn't taste of plastic anymore, and it was a tad lighter on the palate. I couldn't work out what the taste was though 🤷. Then we let the dram sit for a while and I tasted a third sip. This time it was smoother, like a dragon that had been tamed, but I couldn't still couldn't work out any specific flavours. The after taste lingered on for quite a long time, I guess that's good.
Overall, both hubs and my brother in law thought the Arran was very good and enjoyed ig very much.
My gang. Collectors! 😁
Do you think this whisky is good for motion sickness?
I'm think if one drinks a few drams before they board, or hide a small miniature bottle and down it once they get on board, they may not feel much afterwards. Perhaps we can get a gineua pig and try it. I know lots of people who are planning to fly these couple of days 🙃
Hahahaha... Flying is a problem, but not as big as boating in the open sea... 🤣 Maybe I will hide a bottle and stay in some bar, waiting for Hive sailors to come back... 😂
Based on the weather forecast I don't think you'll be the only one with a problem on Friday 🤢
hahahaha... I was on a boat when there was a strong wind, and it looks like that Friday, the 13th could be something like that... If I see it coming, I'm staying in the harbor... 🤣
Friday the 13th 😫
Yess 👏🏼🙌🏼💫 Love whisky chat. If you’re after something special, the Lagavulin‘s a favourite of mine. Or if you want something a little more peaty - try the Laphroaig. Both come highly recommended!
I showed your recommendations to hubby, he thinks both are quite peaty? So far he's been avoiding peaty whiskey because he wasn't too keen on the ones he's tried in the past 🙃
But thanks for the recommendation, it's always good to see what others like, you never know what may come up
I've actually had that plastic taste before. For me it's a bit like acrylic and I think it has something to do with the cork. Sometimes certain whiskies taste like dish soap to me as well. I've ead that isn't uncommon. I wish we could buy liquor through Amazon like that. My wife thinks it all tastes like gasoline.
I totally know what she means!!! It's the same for me.
I remember one time during our recent US trip, I picked up some miniature spirits at a gas station when we were filling up, they kid behind the cashier was younger than me but had to check my ID. When I gave him my UK driving licence he said he'd never seen one before and was more interested in checking it out than checking my age. I guess I could have given him some fake ID and he wouldn't know 😄
I'm actually surprised how common fake ID's are today. I would have thought that practice was long gone, but I know my niece has one along with all of her friends. I would imagine in that part of the country they might not see too many foreign ID's!
You’ve sold this to me and Whisky isn’t a regular in my diet, diet? What do I mean by that lol
I only ever share it with my dad or brother. Thou are right it’s one of those rituals between family etc.
Plastic taste, though, not encountered that before.
The plastic taste was the first for me, not that I drink, I only normally steal a sip from hubs to write the post. Then I Googled whiskey toasting notes, and plastic does in deed come up as one of the flavours!!
Looks amazing! I have been putting this one on the "to-buy-list" when I graduate as a gift for myself. I am putting this one even higher! Thanks for the review, hopefully in a year or two I will be buying this for myself.
How much longer do you have till you finish your PhD? I bet you're going to celebrate like mad when you finish, and we'll deserved!
I was supposed to hand it in in June this year, but that did not happen. Many reasons why. But hopefully soon. Maybe at the end of the year, I can finally submit it and buy myself that whisky!
Oh yes.... This looks lovely. I like the bottle colour and design too.
10 year olds are always a nice treat. Nice that he shared it with his brother too.
Whiskey tasting like plastic for your first sip made me laugh 😃
It's an acquired taste I guess..