Arran Machrie Moor: 46% abv and Cask Strength
Arran malts tend to be light, citrus, fruity and floral in nature, due in no small part to the nature of the copper stills used. Although peated to 20ppm, the stills aren't designed to pull out the heavier elements so the resultant Machrie Moor spirit is lighter in peat than might be expected from the description.
Appearance: Pale
straw colour, quickly forms beads before falling as slow, thin legs.
Nose: Light smoke, hints of vanilla, green apples and a little malt
Palate: Spirit forward, peppery, light peat smoke, maltiness from the nose coming through
Finish: Short, slight citrus and buttery shortbread biscuits
Summary: A light, unassuming whisky. The peatiness doesn’t shine through as much as many, including myself, would have liked. The finish is pleasant but disappointingly short. An easy drinker, nothing challenging or unpleasant, but I was left wanting a bit more from it. At this price point however, still a decent purchase.
Machrie Moor Cask Strength 56.2%
There have been a number of editions of the Cask Strength version, this was the latest and weighs in at a healthy 56.2%.
Appearance: Straw colour, quickly forms beads before falling as slow, thick legs.
Nose: Sweet peat smoke, citrus fruit and honeyed malt
Palate: The smoke and pepperiness from the spirit are more evident due to being cask strength, however the peatiness doesn’t overpower the sweetness of the vanilla, or the mix of orchard and citrus fruit.
Finish: The citrus fruit comes through, followed by creamy vanilla which lingers beautifully, the peat and smoke dissipating slowly.
Summary: Although described as peated, those who like their peat on the heavier side might feel a little underwhelmed. However, for everyone else this is a really solid offering. Far more interesting and complex than the standard Machrie Moor, the higher abv lets the typical Arran notes really shine through without being overpowered by the peat.
