Two weeks ago The Arran Whisky distillery has unveiled a new Charity whisky, which was produced on a very special date: 31st of December 1999. What is also special about this whisky is that it’s intended for charity: and a donation out of each bottle sold of those 7,800 bottles will go to the Arran Trust,a conservation charity which funds projects that look after the beautiful landscapes and environment of Arran One such project is that which helps to maintain the footpaths on the island which lead to Loch na Davie – the pure water source which is an essential ingredient in the Arran Single Malt. The whisky was mixed from a total of 45 casks, 35 are ex-bourbon and 10 Sherry Hogsheads. I clearly remember what i was doing on that night of December 31st, but I am not going to bore you with the details, It was indeed not one of the nights I’d like to remember, fortunately for the guys at Arran, they had better things on their minds back then.
Arran Millennium Casks , 53.5% , £64.99 7,800 bottles
Nose: A very nice classic textbook sort of Arran, like we’ve grown accustomed to like : Fresh, with apples, on top of vanilla fudge, some summer fruit as well, creamy and malty with cereal and a zingy zesty note as well. The Alcohol bite needs a bit of time to subside, and a bit of water will do this dram justice, so do not fear to add a few drops.
Palate: A warming and mouth coating entry, at Cask strength mind you! I love the feel of that on the palate. Creamy and buttery with mild fruit, malt and hint of cocoa powder.
Finish: Vanilla, apples, apricots, wood.
Conclusion:
It’s a lovely dram mind you, maybe lacks the finesse of the 16 year old, but what it lacks in finesse it compensate with body, it’s big bodied and feels lovely on the palate. As I’ve stated before it does benefit quite a bit from water.A just cause and a just dram. Buy one and help the Arran fund (and it’s good stuff too!). Be quick, as there are not a lot of bottles, and available only on the Arran site.
Score: 85/100
official sample provided by Arran distillery
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