Arran 21-year-old

Name: Arran 21-year-old
Brand: Arran
SKU: 142044
Rating: 86.8 (140 reviews)

Overall rating: 86.80/100
votes: 140

Whiskybase ID: 142044
Category: Single Malt
Distillery: Arran
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Bottled: 01.10.2019
Stated Age: 21 years old
Strength: 46.0 % Vol.
Size: 700 ml
Bottle code: L 01 10 19
Barcode: 5060044483752
Added on: 04 Nov 2019 11:10 pm by wbarchive_660584

Average value

€ 134.44

Found 42 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 114.99

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There is 1 other release…

Whisky Reviews for Arran 21-year-old

29 users have left a review for this whisky and scored it an average of 86.80 points

Moses scored this whisky 85 points
02 May 2020 11:21 am
The second from the core range at the age of 21, but this time not limited, ... positive. One thing in advance. He can't get to the old 21! I share the opinion of "Archer". The palate has annoying or almost missing notes, no longer on the acceptable side. Did wrong barrels come together? Barrels not burned out enough? Unfortunately, whatever went wrong with barrel management. The old one is clearly better! My personal impression. PS: See also the notes from Archer!

Nose

87 87

Oha. Airy volume on the nose. Very fresh and floral. The aroma is also made on the light side and fine. Sweet Arran citrus with light vanilla and caramel notes. He weakens a bit against the 18s old and new and is not so fruity. Especially the new 18er sets the bar very high. This 21 can not fully convince on the nose compared to his own 18 colleagues. And yet the nose is his best part. It already smells delicious!

Taste

84 84

Soft texture. But does not deliver what the nose promised. Behavior simple, almost boring. Creamy and oily ok, but getting dry with a delicate bitterness that is also a bit annoying. But he stays cute! There is also some burned wood. The malty notes also go in the bitter direction. The mouth is max. worth a 84. Sorry Arran, that's not enough! Have you saved on the barrels here? At least this batch was not optimal.

Finish

83 83

The exit is also not at the front. Just a little sweet and sour. After that it gets lukewarm and unfortunately, he goes there slowly. Too bad he didn't hold out either. He also gets weird and musty in the back. Personal opinion: One of the rows of barrels was treated incorrectly. In comparison to his very good 18-year-old brother PLV, he certainly does not have it easy. I say again “a big THANKS to my brother in spirit for the big rehearsal”! Stay healthy !
Palindrome scored this whisky 83 points
22 Dec 2020 9:03 am

One very famous cap-wearing Youtube reviewer just gave this a 91. The whisky in his bottle looks darker than mine, but mine is a recent release. I'm wondering if he's tasting the same whisky? I like the new Arran 18. It's quite tasty. But the 21? Um, no. Not even good enough to bother with tasting notes. I'm giving away my bottle to an acquaintance who did me a favor and is used to drinking far inferior whisky to this. He will love it, and that makes me happy.
Bam scored this whisky 87 points
09 Feb 2020 7:40 pm
Dangerously tasty, and sweet for a 21yo. Set at the same time, and fresh, the oak tends to behave for the age, and herbal.

Nose

It starts with cocoa and citrus notes. Orange and grapefruit, jaffa cake. A couple of dried garden herbs, marjoram, thyme, and fresh tomato plants. Then comes apple compote with some cinnamon and vanilla.

Taste

Strong start, oily mouthfeel, a strong, dark caramel note makes the beginning, and combines with ripe oranges and some cinnamon. Vanilla. Roasted hazelnuts introduce the oak, which is more herbaceous.

Finish

Medium. Orange, cinnamon, caramel, vanilla and milk chocolate.
SAND scored this whisky 86 points
06 Dec 2020 2:50 am

(Tasted semi-blind; I knew it was Arran, not which one)
NOSE: Lovely fruitiness on the nose with fresh yellow apples and yellow plums. Then more typical bourbon barrel notes of vanilla, dried banana and other dried yellow fruits. (87p).
TASTE: The arrival is soft and fruity, again yellow orchard fruits. The fruitiness really continues onto the mid palate all the way into the exit. Lovely fruitiness plus some sweet barley juice. It is just a little nippy, suggesting that this may be in the upper 40s or lower 50s, ABV wise. (86p).
EXIT: More yellow fruits, barley juice, very mild black pepper. (86p).
OVERALL: A fruit and barley driven, bourbon barrel aged Arran, where the distillate gets to shine. Almost pure fruit & barley juice, with just a minor bitter bite towards the end. Juicy but not very complex. Very recognisable Arran signature here, I think. Age wise I would think 12 - 18 years old. TOTAL SCORE 86 points.
Archer scored this whisky 84 points
15 Feb 2020 9:56 pm
Damn a shame that with this great nose it breaks down on the palate and in the finish. One could almost assume that a few bad barrels were mixed in. This musty and musty note, which he shows on the tongue, scratches pretty hard on the border to the missing note.

Nose

88 88

At first contact you could almost think that the whisky could not be located on Arran, but on the Kintyre peninsula a few miles west - a little Glen Scotia lemon here, a little springbank minerality there.
Very fresh nose with just that lemon, sea salt, dried seaweed, damp pebbles. Straight sliced apricots, nice and fleshy and juicy. A touch of flower shop with fresh cut flowers pulls through. White chocolate, nutmeg. Fresh fruitiness and spice complement each other very well.

Taste

83 83

Creamy start with tart herbs and a musty note. The freshness from the nose is barely there, the older barrel and damp, clammy wood clearly prevail here. Keller Moder. A stark contrast to the fresh-looking nose. There is an inkling of putrefaction here, and you can hardly identify and name specific flavors otherwise.

Finish

82 82

Shouldn't be as long as it is.
The musty and putrid note settles on the tongue and takes root there. Bitter herbs, cellar, damp wood, wet autumn leaves, burnt caramel.
brechtvds scored this whisky 83 points
10 Nov 2019 8:54 am

tasted this one at spirits in the sky very disappointing whisky no dept , short finish , almost no complexity there are better things to buy for 150euro
riegerjonas scored this whisky 81 points
11 Apr 2021 4:07 pm
2020-12-27

Nose

81 81

mild, light vanilla, citrus, honey, little or no flavor

Taste

82 82

light pepper, light spice

Finish

81 81

short, milk to dark chocolate
DannyDram scored this whisky 86 points
28 Mar 2021 12:57 pm
Walnut, pear, fig, peppermint, chocolate, citrus, tobacco, caramel, old wood (palate). Warm, creamy, watery, medium body, medium intensity.

Nose

88 88

Taste

84 84

Finish

85 85
P.K.S scored this whisky 84 points
27 Mar 2021 7:54 pm
love old bottling of arran, first new bottling fore me. a bit impressed, and a bit more disepointed

Nose

83 83

sherry,plums,dark drapes,oransj,oak spisyness and oak suggar

Taste

83 83

oily,plums,and more like rosin, good but where is the rest of flaver?

Finish

85 85

oily,oak wood and suggar plum and sweet pear
Whisky Hamster scored this whisky 87 points
10 Mar 2021 2:45 pm

Unfortunately I did not try the predecessor, which supposedly was better, more complex. This one I tried blind and albeit being pleasant, a good dram it was not as sophisticated, complex and overall impressive as I would have liked it to be. Together with the 18 more of a decrease in quality with the recent change in Arran bottle style. But way better than the new 18 still. But could be better for a 21 yo. More in the range of quality of the old 18 which had long been available around 70 EUR...

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