Arran Quarter Cask

Cognac finish 12:1 Nose: pear, banana, very sweet Mouth: sweet and sour and fruity Finish: marzipan, light grapes => hardly any difference, the finish could be a bit stronger, more like 8:1

Tasted as part of The Whisky Shop Advent Calendar 2024. A lovely little dram! Did I say little? No, this is quite a big personality, and for me preferable to the standard 10-year from Arran. It is feisty but honest, maybe better characterized as "zesty." I do wish I had more than a sample's amount of this malt.

2+9+10+4+50 = 75

Overall, very dry whisky, with little sweet, but very clear, and strong aromas of grass, cereals, lemon and sour apples. The oak behave very well, until it becomes unpleasant bitter on the finish.

Nose: hazelnut, almonds, peach, vanilla, baked apple, overripe pears, mojito, lime. The alcohol is a bit too stinging, so from now on with added water. I find the nose much more pleasant and fruity now. Very strong citrus and light fruit flavors. Taste: You can definitely drink the bar strength undiluted. First very soft and oily, then with a strong onion, lemon juice, lime, the mouth is quickly quite dry. Forest honey, snickers, burnt toast. Finish: Medium long, still fairly dry, the tastes continue, much more oak impact than the 10s. With dilution he becomes quite bitter. The bottom line is that I find it better undiluted, as Bam already writes, he is also quite dry.

N : very shy at first, then opens on a mix of tropical fruits, touch of creme anglaise and a sting of alcohol. Stabilizing around melons, synthetic flower fragrance and blue cheese (reminiscent of the recent Bladnoch 10). After more time very light porridge, almond milk and cocoa. With water : lavender porridge. M : hot, and with the sharpness of its young age. Again with the synthetic fragrance impression, just lighter. Light cereals and lemon. Cayenne pepper. With water : less everything. F : in line with the mouth, with the addition of bitter cocoa. Almond returns. Left me with a taste of raw salmon, no need to say this feels off. With water : felt better by contrast, the floral side gets a nice boost. Still salmon then. Well I see this and the sherry cask release as a good educative duo for newcomers. In the under 40€ pricerange they're very fine. 6/10

Quite a nice whisky, with a greater influence of wood.

83,00

Rating/points refers to the slightly diluted whisky.

nice, good value for money, but don't have high expectations

The nose starts light and floral with a hint of coconut and wood glue. A freshly sharpened pencil lies in the background. Overall, it looks much lighter and brighter than the 10. The light and bright impression continues in the mouth and finish: light grapes, some honey and light nougat combine with well-integrated alcohol. Length: 4/10 All in all, a very simple malt with a lighter basic aroma, which has far less oak content than its 10-year-old brother, but which also makes it a little more pleasing. Grade: 2

It's a great pity that the whisky hardly smells, that makes it worse than it is.

too woody and spicy and alcohol booze - not my dram

Arran has a winner here. The quarter casks have impacted Flavour into wow factor way. The sweet juicy citrusy vanilla hits and with a few drops of water the peaches, kumquat, coconut and honey follow. A warm slightly sour in finish. Fruity sweet , fruity, light and clean, coconut apples honey, sharp and spicy finish. Easy simple drinking on a hot summer day Compared to Arran 10: less hay/green freshness, more dessert-like oak sweetness

The Quarter Cask is a straightforward bourbon maturation without any frills. The cask strength delivers power without being overpowering. Sweetness, tropical fruits, and wood spice define this whisky. It's not particularly complex and, compared to the Arran 10, somewhat boisterous. The influence of the quarter casks is clearly noticeable. A bit young, a bit wild, unrefined.

It's delicious, but I wouldn't chase after it. 74 points.

Smell of tropical fruits. Surprisingly easy to drink. Taste a hint of peat, lots of fruit. Long sweet finish. Not so complex, but very nice. Reminds me a little bit of 10 year version.

Non-chill filtered. Not coloured. Matured in 1-st fill exbourbon casks. Finished in American oak quarter casks. Thick slow primary legs. Mid-size slow secondary legs. Droplets. Holds water well: very suitable for experimentation. Advanced level whisky.

90 / 100 Yummy

A real staple, bigger (and younger) brother of Arran 10. This is an untamed animal, needs water and time. But it is vibrant and rewarding stuff. Lots of orchard fruits, distinctive grapefruit. And vanilla. It is an essence of bourbon in a single malt body. Honest and intense, but not too complicated.

Amber straw. Slight sweetness of coconut and pineapple on the nose with a hint of malt. Slightly sweet and fruity on the palate, especially pepper. Short and spicy finish. A good product, but strong, too alcoholic. There's no point in being strong if you don't satisfy the palate!

Needs a lot of aeration

Balance (21) I would bet more if it was bourbon ... Where's Arran? Water added 2 points (84)

A very decent whisky for the money - the wood imparts a wonderful warmth - some toffee notes.

2021-10-06

Quite boring and not interesting whisky, simple and alcoholic. Might be suitable for the first acquaintance with the barrel fortress. There are no particular complaints, but there is nothing to praise for. N: 20 T: 21 F: 20 B: 20

Great bourbon cask matured whisky that needs some time, maybe a few months, in the bottle. Then it will open up with surprisingly pleasant green apple, coconut, meadow, and other fruit baskets. My initial score would be around 82 if I write the review earlier.

Surprising notes at a low price.

Can't go wrong with this brand, especially the quarter cask. Very apple and pear heavy with great tropical notes (coconut is present which is great)

Brief review: I really like Arran, and this one doesn't disappoint, especially considering the price. Even though it's bottled at near cask strength, you shouldn't expect the complexity of a single cask. In terms of finesse, the standard Arran 10-year-old has the edge, in my opinion. But this one offers more power, more vanilla, and more oak.

Nice balanced whisky. Classic Arran ???????? profile

Less than average bottling from Arran here. Review: https://youtu.be/VibtO4UhnNk

82/100

Bright, straw color. Oily.

A real fruit bomb with a very good price-performance ratio. The only downer is the somewhat exuberant alcoholic sharpness in the nose and on the palate.

It is stronger than 10 Years Old, but the scent is less pronounced and the off notes are a little more pronounced. It's a matter of taste, but I recommend 10 years, which has a better scent.

Color: Bright gold. Nose: Aromas of lemon zest, cotton candy and cocoa. Taste: Notes of fresh tropical fruit, pineapple, green apples, vanilla and an accent of chili pepper. Aftertaste: Aromatic and fruity with a nice balance between deep sweetness and powerful and spicy oak. Notes from the Internet.

It's fine if you can get it cheap and it's for the right purpose. One purpose would be, for example, in the evening by the sea on holiday when you need something stronger and want a malt as well as a beer. I find the nose to be rather weak. The palate isn't particularly exciting either, but it's quite drinkable. Overall, it's a rather original malt that's probably quite young. I probably won't get a large bottle. I tried it on May 3rd, 2024 while on vacation in Mallorca. It was the second half between Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli. Unfortunately, FC St. Pauli did not manage to get promoted that evening. Bottle code: L 28 09 21 Bottled: 28.09.2021 Whiskybase ID: WB213161

Notes of glue on the nose. Sweet in the mouth, honey, a bit spicy in the finish

Well this puts a spring into your step. Would be a perfect replacement for morning coffee, haha. Very dry and almost overwhelmingly strong (if you are coming from Irish whiskys as me) at the start with subtle orchard fruits and oak coming in a second later. It is definitely better for me with a few drops of water - oakiness subsides but the sweetness and fruitiness stay. Touch of spice at the end.

Everything is like it gushed out directly from the cask in this malt bottled at a full 56,2 abv: the alcohol hits clearly at first, of course, yet it’s not so hard or harsh, but balanced with seemingly strong fruit notes of peach, apricot and apple pie. It’s rich and bold with very few hints from the small bourbon casks and despite its recognizable young age. A few drops of water make it easier for drinking, enhancing it fruity, vanilla and slightly spicy profile, without losing much of its full flavors. A quite impressive malt, once again very naturally crafted by Arran distillery, this time with a full volume that balances strength and sweetness.

very nice, clear dram, not overly complex.

Beautiful ex-bourbon nose, as if the barrel had been lying on an old dusty shelf. The taste is still ex-bourbon barrel, fruity, but not sweet. The finish is dry and remains medium-long.

It has a fairly high viscosity and a relatively intense bouquet. I get aromas of tart apples, vanilla, nuts, honey sweetness, and shortbread. Not particularly complex. A good balance between sweetness and dryness in terms of taste. The alcohol is quite noticeable, and it has a relatively heavy body.

Not my favorite. Good value for summer (sugar taste, fruit, vanilla : nice to taste in a hot evening summer night.

I tried this filling several times and every time it convinced me anew! In terms of style, a Balvenie (honey, apricot) from the bourbon barrel, but this bottling also has that sweet bazooka chewing gum notes in the initial. It is full-bodied and tasty and has a great price / performance ratio!

Arran is distilled in the Lochranza Distillery in the town of the same name on the Isle of Arran and is the non-smoky variant of the Arran malt. The smoky variant will come from the Lagg Distillery on the west coast of the island, which belongs to the same company. The whisky has no age and has been matured in small quarter casks (125 l) for two years. Light straw in color - bourbon cask. www.glen-efze.de

1

It's a wonderful introduction to Arran. Beautiful, typical notes of a bourbon cask with honey, vanilla, and bright fruit, although not entirely pronounced. It seems very lively, young, and rather on the sweet side with a light overall profile. The alcohol is quite strong, but it responds excellently to water.

A lovely "summer" whisky. Vanilla cream, lots of fruit like pineapple and mango. It needs water, which not only makes it smoother but also a bit more complex for me, but I'm generally a fan of adding water to cask strength whiskies anyway. Its biggest weakness, in my opinion, is the finish, where I find it somewhat flat. Besides the American oak, there's at most a typical, but vague, grain note. Otherwise, it's a nice example of an uncomplicated ex-bourbon maturation with a successful quarter cask finish. For the price, it's a recommendation for anyone looking for a fruity summer whisky.

N - Alcoholic burn, spicy, lemongrass, tropical fruit, subtle vanilla, toffee In the initial aroma, a slight alcohol burn and spicy notes come through. After that, intuitive lemongrass-like citrus supports it. After that, you can feel the sweet aroma of tropical fruits and a nutty sweetness like toffee nut. A faint vanilla scent rises towards the end. P - Spicy, Citrus, Sweet It is really intuitive. As soon as you put it in your mouth, the distinctive spiciness of aran hits you hard. Then, the citrus scent of lemon hits hard. The sweetness increases as you go further. F - Spicy, Oak, Vanilla Afterwards, a woody spiciness can be felt. Sweet vanilla lingers in the mouth along with the spiciness. True to CS, the aftertaste tends to linger for a long time. In terms of scent, it is indeed a stage of intuitive citrus and fruitiness that makes you think, "This is definitely a Bourbon." As expected, the spicy flavor exhibits the unique characteristics of Aran. The citrus notes have an intuitive lemon-like scent rising up, supported by sweetness in the background. The spicy, sour, and sweet flavors are very harmonious. I used to have a prejudice that bourbon has a delicious aroma but is hollow in taste. As expected, it seems you need to be at the level of CS to deliver an intuitive taste. I felt that it was a very well-balanced whisky overall. Considering the price advantage and taste, I am willing to buy a bottle.

aroma Light fruity, citrus notes, grassy, malty The taste Light fruity, creamy, spicy, woody, grassy, citrus notes aftermath Medium-long, fruity and spicy, bitter notes, further citrus notes From 85 to 86

soft, bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar

Based on the tasting notes on the box, I imagined another whisky, but tasting it becomes clear that it is just an ex bourbon that was finished in virgin oak barrels (nothing new). It's a good ageless cask strength

A very pleasant surprise. Lovely fruity sweetness with a strong, spicy aftertaste and sufficient complexity at a reasonable price—what more could you want? It definitely improves with a drop or two of water. I personally like it better than the Arran 10 standard.

Aroma：Moderate；Palate：84/100; Aftertaste：Medium.

Not the easiest of whiskies. Initially butterscotch on the nose followed by pineapple taste on the tongue moving to old lead pipe and back to pineapple. With added water overall fruitier and slightly mellower. You have to work with this one but in not unpleasant way.

Tasted on 09-13-2020 in Inverness.

A good summer sipper initially for me with its combination of vanilla and tropical fruits. I was ready to say that it is a better get than the Arran 10 even. But as I made my way further down the bottle, I couldn’t look past this element of it tasting young and feeling like there was rough virgin oak involved. Just too much loud, unpleasant oak for me in the end. A mixed bag.

Arran Quarter Cask *Age statement: NAS *Alcohol percentage at least 46%: yes, 56.2% *Amount of filtration: stated on the bottle as non-chillfiltered. *Use of caramel coloring {E150a}: stated on the bottle as uncolored (3 out of 4, regarding craft/integrity presentation). Nose: candy floss. Palate: felled oak and more candy floss. Finish: the oaky candy floss lingers for a moderate amount of time. I was disappointed by this whisky, over months I couldn’t appreciate it, until this last glass that I’m now drinking. Recently I bought an IB of Benrinnes and the same flavor is present here, it’s odd, truly peculiar that these bottles are so similar. However, I’m having a hard time pulling notes from this whisky. Though I appreciate it nonetheless. The Benrinnes IB was also from an ex bourbon barrel, so I’m willing to wager that there are no other types of casks inside this bottling series.

It has less volume compared to its alcohol content, but it has colorful notes. It is very rough at first, but lemon zest comes to the surface over time. Satisfactory for the price

First Day: (Upon open, neat) Smells really pleasant, with fruit and intense and distinct honey rings. Spice comes from high ABV, which lingers after swallow. Light colour and rounded body. Fading finish fruity (juice instead of fruit itself though), and honey water. Alcohol sting well-controlled (even less than Bushmills 12, which have a far lower ABV). (Aired, cooled) Almost no alcohol sting. Tropical fruit juice arrival. Slightly thick body. Complex taste overall, with lingering, layered fading finish. 17 Jun: Amazing coherence of taste, barely anything intrusive stands out. Very thick honey smell, so delightful that it brings excitement and ecstasy. A faint fruity sour on arrival, and alcohol heat comes after swallowing but with no sting at all. A slight bitterness in initial finish. Long fading finish of honey. 21 Jun: This remains my favourite of the three, for it’s minimalistic condensation of flavour: honey, without inducing the heaviness of being too sweet or the emptiness of being too simple. 18 Jul: Alcohol somehow present in nose upon decanting, bitterness in fading finish. Both disappear at the second dram. 23 Jul: Don’t know what have changed but this time the alcohol is too obvious, and the honey note is basically no where to be found. Still trying to figure out why. Is it that it requires a state of inebriation, in which one tends to overlook the flaws in it? It’s near 1/3 of the bottle, I cannot fathom the reason for such strong alcohol presence. Even the empty glass smells alcohol. 25 Jul: Problem solved. Glass issue. The good old Arran QC is back. But I have to say it is less impressive than before. Still, the empty glass has this unforgettable aroma that is so appealing. But the spirit itself, with its youthful nature, feels a bit too wild with the ABV. I appreciate the philosophy. 26 Jul: Reinstate my appreciation for Arran’s youthfulness. And I have to say, the state of inebriation compliments the beauty of this bottle. I seem to feel the edginess of a youth, the recklessness, the anxiety and the showiness. I think I relate to this bottle It contains the quality that makes me overlook the downsides — or say, downsides (the bitterness, the alcohol, the flashiness, so to speak) compliment the philosophy of this bottle. This feels like me to be frank. 27 Jul: Edgy, restless, insecure. 30 Aug: Green apple in nose (from a distance), this is new.

This a a simple but tasty honey sherry oak spice dram, reminds me of Balvenie in a way.