Whiskybase

Arran 21-year-old

Overall rating
88.07/100
votes
266
Whiskybase ID
WB122174
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottled
21.11.2018
Stated Age
21 years old
Number of bottles
9000
Strength
46.0 % Vol.
Size
700 ml
Label
First Release
Bottle code
L 21 11 18
Barcode
5060044483530
Added on
07 dec 2018 11:49 am by ctu
UncoloredNon-chillfiltered
Arran 21-year-old
Photo by Whiskybase Shop
Arran 21-year-old
Photo by Likudi
Arran 21-year-old
Photo by Likudi
Arran 21-year-old
Photo by Likudi
Arran 21-year-old
Photo by Likudi

Average value

€ 299.81

Found 8 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 190.00
nl Wijnhuis Den Boer € 225.00
nl Raadhuis Maastricht € 230.00
be Au Plaisir de Vivre € 239.00
ru alcoplaza.ru € 310.72
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266 × member ratings

750 × in collection

Whisky Reviews for Arran 21-year-old

50 users have left a review for this whisky and scored it an average of 88.07 points

  1. LeChiffre scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    Wonderful voluminous and powerful single malt with complex aromas. Nose and taste are a dream. The finish is quite appealing. Absolute buy recommendation!
    • Nose
      90 90
      Sweet; dark chocolate; slight hint of citrus fruit; spicy
    • Taste
      90 90
      oily and voluminous in the mouth; fruity sweetness; Grapefruit; Ginger; ripe fruits (free, plums); chocolate notes; very complex
    • Finish
      89 89
      warming and strong; very spicy; Sweetness increasingly turning into slightly bitter oak flavors; nutty

  2. gallfux did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    Nice Arran. I like it. Not dark fruit, but lighter in character. In addition beautiful and lively wood notes.
    • Nose
      Peach (more peel than pulp). Pear juice. Maybe a little dried mango. Flowerhoney. A little nougat. Plus fresh wood. A freshness that is reminiscent of citrus fruits.
    • Taste
      Nice creamy and full kick. Orange blossom honey. Peach again. But now more pulp than skin. Now a pleasant tingle, which I often have with Arrans. A mixture of wood and shower sticks.
    • Finish
      Chocolate with pieces of orange. Pear dish. Tree sap.

  3. Brunobaer1887 scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    As part of my tasting today, the winner, very elegant and fine and whoosh: already on the wish list for the next order
    • Nose
      91 91
      It penetrates my nose in a very complex way, a touch of polish, but also a minimal citrus note wafts around it. During another tasting, I perceive a brief moment, but clearly a hint of peach. Deep, exciting and elegant
    • Taste
      91 91
      A light shade of vanilla can be felt within this dangerously tasty, harmonious bottling. Makes you hungry for more or too much if you understand what I mean;)
    • Finish
      90 90
      Also here harmoniously composed, the barrel character is very pleasant

  4. Bam scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Complex and wonderfully balanced. Fresh and set at the same time, strong, dark oak notes and light fruits.
    • Nose
      It starts with a wonderful citrus note with limes and oranges, plus a hint of furniture polish. Mint chocolate and green apples are added, as well as a light salty note. Cinnamon, hazelnuts and nougat slowly rise. Carried by a mixture of vanilla and oak.
    • Taste
      Strong start, oily silky mouthfeel. Lemon, and a mix of light fruits, apricots, pear and apple. Dark honey, a lot of caramel, a little mint. One comes with a light tingle and Christmas spices, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
    • Finish
      Medium to long. At the same time strong, dark oak with espresso and roasted hazelnuts, and a fresh note of mint and limes.

  5. Likudi scored this whisky 89 points Shoplink Moderator

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  6. hogsheadwhisky scored this whisky 89 points Expert Junior

    Compared to the 18 year old, the three year old is an increase again. He needs some time and patience in the glass. But then he presents a really nice nose! Strong in the mouth with a nice interplay between a pleasant fruity blossom honey sweetness and a surprising spiciness that causes a tingling on the tongue. I also really liked what I had from Arran. The 21y makes no difference here. It is a nice end to the core range.
    • Nose
      The 21-year-old Arran presents himself in the glass with a color reminiscent of a dark ocher. Surprisingly bright for 21 years.
      At the beginning, behave a bit in the glass - light freshness on the nose - I give him a few minutes of rest. Then the whisky wakes up and offers a great bouquet in the nose!
      The basis in the nose is the Arran style that is typical of me, with ripe lemons, with tropical fruit and oranges. There is a very nice floral honey note and spiciness. And there could also be a few pieces of milk chocolate in this mix. The oldest Arran from the Core Range cannot and will not deny the 21 years in oak barrels.
    • Taste
      Nice fine honey sweetness, not too sweet, rather fruity sweet in the first attempt. It moves wonderfully oily in the mouth. Then I get a tingling spiciness - almost a little pepper, which plays nicely with the sweetness. Nice and strong in the mouth. This liveliness is typical of Arrans for me. The 46% are not really felt in the nose or mouth. I have less Sherry notes here.
    • Finish
      Ah! Now there are a few sherry shades. Nice! The spices are now shifting more clearly towards cinnamon and nutmeg. The oak is now noticeable towards the end. For 21 years but rather less pushy than you might think. The oak remains in the mouth at least for a medium length and makes you want a little Italian espresso.

  7. Moses scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    The first in the core range at the age of 21 and limited right away ... so with aha effect? Exciting. But since the 18 is our house whisky, I have enough samples to compare. It won't be easy for this malt. One thing in advance. No aha effect!
    PS: the alleged sulfur notes are on the more pleasant match side for me.
    Not negative. Conclusion: I drove in the 21st and the 18 always in the rearview mirror :)
    • Nose
      Nice volume on the nose. Rich, sweet sherry notes, with a clear 21 years. Bourbon & Sherry always works! Tender Arran citrus :) with mild vanilla and light caramel notes. Thereby fruit basket on a set basis. At 18 (old) it clearly weakens on the nose and is not that full of fruity. Nose can't score.
    • Taste
      Great texture on the palate. First sweet and full. Soft and oily but getting dry with a delicate bitterness that doesn't get in the way. Shortbread biscuits in the cigar box. Spicy with a little cinnamon and burnt wood. The malty notes also tend to be bitter but made noble. So the orange peel, not the pulp and delicious nutty sherry notes. The oral cavity is easily worth an 88. Well done. Respect to Arran. Just in time.
    • Finish
      The finish is rather restrained ... a bit sweet and sour. Then it gets lukewarm and, unfortunately, reluctantly, he goes there. It's a shame, he didn't quite hold out. But still it is clear to me in the finish, ... a good Arran in the glass. Opinion: The number 21 was just too late. I would have liked a 19. A big THANK YOU goes to my "brother in spirit" for the great rehearsal! Very nice.

  8. AlexBonoGreen scored this whisky 90 points Member Senior

    Arran 21 yo - my dislike for Arran turns to Love in my eyes! A very bright molt, a mixt of barrels running along the two flanks, and one feels that the barrels are fresh. Very good!
    • Nose
      Lovely sherry-chocolate profile! Velvet barrel, soft ripe tannins, dried fruits, ripe pears, candied fruits, toffee, plum jam, sponge cake with lemon! Great!
    • Taste
      Hot wave, sweet wave of ripe fruit, melon, pears, ripe apples, a lot of tannins, cocoa, fruit paste, sherry in all its glory!
    • Finish
      Velvet woody plum chocolate aftertaste. Simply, concisely ... Simply brilliant!

  9. Hvdree scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  10. MrDvorak scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    In a bright and juicy aroma, there are fresh ripe mangoes, red ripe apples and honey pie. The taste is sweet, liqueur, echoes the aroma, adding plum jam and cinnamon. The finish is sweet, oaky, delicate, plum-tropical.

    Old releases of Arran at this age are just a sweet dessert bomb, that rare occasion when I am not afraid of the word "delicious whisky", bravo Arran.

    RATING: 89pts - | 87 - 89 (B +) → Great | - Always nice to have a bottle of this.

  11. Arjo S scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Missing some complexity, for me the 18 suits better, also more BFYB.

  12. LDB scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    For 21 years and 46% very robust. Needs a lot of time in the glass, better than the 18 year old original bottling and also the 14 year old. But now no complexity grenade. Typical case of a malt that satisfies me but that I no longer need. Tasty, but far too expensive for what he can. Only just under 88 points.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Very clynelishesk & bourbon cask-like: honey, flint sparks, pineapple, salt spray on rocks, and so a tiny bit of sulfur mixed with citrus fruits.
    • Taste
      89 89
      Creamy and supple in the mouth, then candied ginger and lemon curd are added. Salt almond chocolate and waxy notes. Here he knows how to score.
    • Finish
      86 86
      Relatively inconspicuous, sparsely sugared grapefruit increasingly sneak in, otherwise rather unspectacular.

  13. KayMeertens scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Another step up from the 18, as it should be.
    • Nose
      Peach, apple, almond, honey, vanilla and a little peanut butter.
    • Taste
      Honey, cashew, peach, apple and vanilla.
    • Finish
      Honey, cashew, apple and peach.

  14. molpet scored this whisky 92 points Expert Junior

    LeChiffre has desribed this whisky quite well. A top malt, for sure! If only it would not be so difficult to come by. The newer/later versions of the Arran 21y are not that good, unfortunately.
    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      93 93
    • Finish
      91 91

  15. bankimate scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  16. ffmdino did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    a challenging and complex malt
    I liked
    it takes time
    • Nose
      light fruits, light lemon + cardboard becomes more, oak comes, pear, vanilla becomes more, sweetness, light caramel, light banana, light malt, becomes tart, light asphalt (dry in the sun)
    • Taste
      oily, soft, silky
      fruity-tart, dried herbs, vanilla, slightly oak becomes more, crème brûlée, slightly spicy, marzipan and nougat
    • Finish
      long
      Chocolate ~ 65%, becomes tart, softwood - resin, becomes fruity (red and dark), peach, sweet, spicy, slightly oak

  17. MLE scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      89 89

  18. KyotoLefty scored this whisky 88 points Expert Junior

    ¥700/15ml@Isetan.

    Appearance: Deep amber orange.

    Nose: Sherry, spice, oak. Took time to open up.

    Palate: Oak, spice, raisin, chocolate, sherry, caramel. Austere with age and luscious.

    Finish: Pepper, oak, spice.

    Overall: Subtle, rich, deep, oaky. I would not call it hugely complex, but quite wonderful with age.

  19. Dutchdram scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      Lots of (exotic) fruits. Many oranges and pineapples to be found. There is a hint of stewed pears aswell. Sweet vanilla goes together with a hint of a flower shop. At the end hints of dry oak and walnutoil.
    • Taste
      And more fruits! Peaches, plums and oranges all complement each other. There is also a hint of raisins. A hint of chocolate. Followed by a nice, but small hint of old leather. At the end roasted nuts with ginger.
    • Finish
      Medium to quite-long and dry. Vanilla and grapefruit notes and complement together with oak notes with green herbs.

  20. Astrid scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Well done. Nice and fruity on the nose and not so demanding, but all the more awesome when drinking - wonderful viscous texture.
    • Nose
      88 88
      first of all sweet sherry with raisins and vanilla, wood dust with a hint of nutmeg, balsamic vinegar, honey, lots of green apple, lime and orange notes, a thin film of dark chocolate, dried apricot and pear and mango strips, toffee, salted almonds and cinnamon, prunes
    • Taste
      89 89
      full-bodied and spicy with cinnamon and clove, also very dry fruity with apricot as well as pear and raisins, orange, sherry and strong oak, caramel, almonds and hazelnuts / walnuts, wonderful oiliness, cardamom, apple, vanilla, honey, traces of ginger and salt, Hints of prune and cocoa
    • Finish
      89 89
      pleasant spice mix with vanilla and oak wood, dark chocolate, cashews and blanched almonds, sherry with dried apricot and pear, then a little honey and apple, plum jam, slightly salty and oily, brown sugar and lime, clover

  21. Wtrstrnghlt scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  22. ezioaudit scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  23. Jackson05 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    A very nice Arran with lots to like. The sherry casks are PX dominant, which is less my preference, as I prefer the drier Oloroso. Lots of great distillate character still - honey, grassy barley sugar, vanilla, coconut, macadamia, then nice fruits (kiwi, peach, apple, green banana)

  24. Totoro scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
      Dry in character and very complex, with quite a bit of sherry and... is this port influence? Certainly some fortified wine casks in here, some of them with a slightly (and pleasantly) musty side. Intriguing minerality as well: graphite and limestone, I'd say.
    • Taste
      88 88
      The sherried (and port?) components strike first, with a big savory note and musty dunnage aromas. Then a spike of spice (pepper) before the mineral, tart Arran character takes over. Very elegant and surprisingly non-sweet and un-oaked for a 21-year-old OA. Really refreshing and clean.
    • Finish
      85 85
      A bit of a jumble, to be honest. Here it feels as if the different cask types didn't fully mesh. Some bitter notes, some winey, acidic aspects, but it never fully coheres to produce a definite flavor profile. Medium in length.

  25. Mapl scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      90 90

  26. g00se scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Very neat malt, which shows the age. Nicely dignified and yet expressive.
    The finish is very astringent.

  27. StephanB scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  28. gaboruso scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  29. Tangtang_WhiskyYoda scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    Wonderful malt with a wonderful nose and finish.
    Very round and balanced.
    • Nose
      spicy sues with dark chocolate, a bit bitter, yet fruity
    • Taste
      sweet spicy, ginger, sherry and citrus fruits
    • Finish
      short chocolate, then long hazelnuts, fruity and spicy with lots of oak.

  30. P.K.S scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Love arran and it is a masterpease of a bottle in my apinion. Lovely collor and deliver bigtime.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Sweet,aprikose,chilli,citrus and some weak sjokkolad. And sweet and sour, pepper
    • Taste
      88 88
      Oily, full bodied, creamy,honey and aprikose. Some wonderfull oak spises pepper,chilli,cinamond. Wonderfull
    • Finish
      89 89
      Longer then medium finnish, getting hazelnuts,pepper,cinamond,chilli,nutmeg. Wonderfull stuff

  31. WhiskyLovingPianist scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2020/01/26/twe-show-2019-loose-ends-part-1-2/

    N/T/F: Last time I saw Mariella [Arran’s Global Brand Ambassador], she handed me Arran 18yo [WLP87]. This time, she hands me Arran’s just-released 21yo [at time of writing]. With a denser body, this Arran has maintained its faithfulness to the waxy-enveloped malted barley coupled with a riper savoury-sweet fruitiness. With a ground nuttiness, Arran’s spiciness has become significantly more consolidated with age. I consider the bourbon/sherry cask balance to be spot on.

    C: thedramble.com tells us: ‘there’s been over 1000 releases worldwide since the distillery was founded‘. Have Arran enough stock to maintain the 21yo as a core range bottling, or will we see a 25yo in a few years – or both? Either way, Arran’s stocks are maturing nicely.

  32. Thermidor scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    I don't quite know what happened here. I had a glass of this at a bar, and thought it was an excellent malt (89 pts.), but when I bought a bottle, I found something fairly rougher, with a more buttery and smoky profile, and the sherry I adored relegated to the back. I slowly emptied my bottle over 6 months, hoping it would even out at some point into what I had experienced at the bar, but it never did. As a result, I have to revise my score down.
    • Nose
      The thing that hits me most is that gentle yet firm highland barky peat, with a smokiness missing all those fishier notes from some of the other islands. It's simple but instantly likable, with this mixed juice fruitiness around it, and a fair bit of raw sugar (not a bad thing mind you, since it isn't actual sugar) and some caramel. There's also a fair bit of butter on the nose.
    • Taste
      This cocktail of fudge, faint smoke, and an odd mix of fruitiness that has a sour edge (think grape skins and green grapes) to it is good, but a bit rough.
    • Finish
      Otherwise as the mouth except at the end some fresh ginger creeps in.

  33. ConvalRen scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    Still lacking in complexity, even from a fresh bottle. 83 remains, open or open oxidised for a month.
    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      80 80
    • Finish
      84 84

  34. mema82 scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  35. ConvalRen scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    Rather reserved. No complexity. 14 is still better.

    Very similar to the 18, funny how 3 years later and it's a mirror image of its past.

  36. alex..w..fan scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    20 21 21 20 82

    quite closed, which looks like 18, it takes a lot of time, which does not happen much ...

  37. Mr. D. scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      82 82
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      83 83

  39. domani scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Multifaceted and fruity on the nose, soft and gentle on the palate, overall an absolutely solid easy-drinking whisky - 19.10.2019
    • Nose
      Very fruity nose, kiwi, pomegranate, banana, honeydew melon, galia melon, menthol, ice candy, forest honey, white tea, wet pinewood, fresh sawdust
    • Taste
      Very creamy, like soft-melting chocolate, slightly peppery but just so to notice that you have whisky here and not a spoon of honey (fresh from the honey jar)
    • Finish
      medium

  40. maltaholic scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Yellow gold. Nice color.

    Young, damp wood.
    Very aromatic.
    Soft and round.
    Slightly fruity, some grapes, a little vanilla.

    Spicy in the mouth.
    Liquorice, tobacco, alcohol.

    Nice malt with a beautiful nose.

  41. Wiz scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
      Again the apples and pears as in the eighteen, but much sweeter and more mature. Honey, caramel. Then a tropical fruit basket opens. Mango, papaya ... .. The oak flavor is very pleasant here.
    • Taste
      89 89
      Here again the tropical fruits. Then it gets citrusy, but more orange and mandarin. I think the bourbon barrel notes are predominant here.
    • Finish
      89 89
      Long. Pleasant than the Eighteen. No bitterness. Very tropical sweet

  42. JacobaEd scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      83 83

  43. rpvdwel scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  44. 88plus Bus did not rate this whisky Member Senior

    Nose:

    Very clynelishesk & bourbon cask-like: honey, flint sparks, pineapple, salt spray on rocks, and so a tiny bit of sulfur mixed with citrus fruits.

    Taste:

    Creamy and supple in the mouth, then candied ginger and lemon curd are added. Salt almond chocolate and waxy notes. Here he knows how to score.

    finish:

    Relatively inconspicuous, a sparsely sugared grapefruit increasingly sneaks in.

    Conclusion:

    For 21 years and 46% very robust. Needs a lot of time in the glass, better than the 18 year old original bottling and also the 14 year old. But now no complexity grenade. Typical case of a malt that satisfies me but that I no longer need. For real spring malts I prefer a much more fruity bourbon barrel.

    Tasty, but far too expensive for what he can.

  45. WhiskyBjorn83 scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    17-03-2019
    • Nose
      83 83
      sherry
    • Taste
      85 85
      sherry
    • Finish
      86 86
      sherry

  46. Dris scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  47. DocF scored this whisky 84 points Expert Senior

    Also Arran has not been spared by the sulfur plague. Light one note, which can be driven away badly with air, behind it very mediocre "sherry" and sulphurous spicy notes, the overall picture is then not so wrong. Disappointing that you can not even buy Arran blind anymore.

  48. dRambo scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      88 88

  49. ctu scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    Finally a magnificent OB. Complex, fruity, spicy, oaky. Nice stuff!
    • Nose
      88 88
      Fresh and floral. Citruses, green apple, honey, vanilla and salted minerals.
    • Taste
      89 89
      Oily. Sweet fruits, honey, milk chocolate, ginger, white pepper and matured oak.
    • Finish
      88 88
      Long, spicy, fruity, oaky.

  50. Kaleva scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Solid Arran, nicely balanced and well-composed. Maritime feeling, light minerality - these notes most likely belong to Arran’s signature profile. However, this expression lacks complexity as for this age.
    • Nose
      Fresh, slightly coastal with light minerality, vanilla, lemon pie, blueberry jam, light floral notes on the background
    • Taste
      Sweet, slightly spicy, maritime notes (brine, kelp), lemon zest, some oak
    • Finish
      Medium-long, mouthwatering, leathery, oaky, dried berries

Tastingtags

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