Would you believe we have not had a Banff for two years? Well, not for Banffire Night, anyway. And we will not have one today again.
Last year was a special anniversary (not Banff's), and, for this year, I have another designated candidate. An opportunity too good to pass. An Arran, while fireworks are crackling outside.
Arran 11yo b.2024 Edition 2 -- Barrel Bonfire (50%, OB The Signature Series, Peated Quarter Casks, 14822b): nose: a deep and comforting smoke wafts to the nostrils, part lit candles, part cosy fireplace. Just what the doctor prescribed, on this November evening, when the weather is supposed to call for a woolly jumper and a pair of warm slippers. Of course, with the climate as it is in 2025, it is actually rather mild, tonight, but the effect is comforting all the same. Further, we find squid ink, linseed oil and dark-green paint dry-brushed onto an old wooden surface. There is probably a drop of diesel in a mugful of sea water, slightly harder to pick up. Mostly, this is smoky wax and old ink, so far, maybe smoked crayons. The second nose is a tad farmier: we see currants and berries trampled into oily earth. Muddy leather boots also come into focus, and, of course, we keep the smoky, waxy crayons. In the long run, dried algae and lichens cut themselves a path too. Mouth: initially velvety and fruity, the droplets that did not make it past soon start to tickle the lips, while the tongue is cloaked in smoke. A little chewing unlocks wax, plum-scented plasticine, blackcurrant-and-blueberry paste, all with the right dose of acidic, sweet and smoky notes -- and smoky crayons again. It procures similar sensations as nibbling a purple crayon rescued from a house on fire -- or so one would imagine. At times, it threatens to give bitter vines (the stems), but, just as it is about to do precisely that, it recedes, as if conscious that would not be a welcome addition. Instead, chewy blackcurrant drops bounce off the roof of the mouth. Perhaps a little thinner at second sip, it still dishes out the perfect amounts of smoke, jammy fruits (currants, berries) and ink (lighter, now). We get honey-glazed blueberries, cloudberries and physalis for the same price. Finish: smoked-blackcurrant drops indeed, now embellished with a soft layer of liquorice, shards of cassia bark and a pinch of salt. For one fleeting second, it has stagnant water filling up a peat bog, and it coats the tongue with charred peat -- charred and oily at the same time, which is unusual. The berries and currants are subtle, in this finish, and come either charred, or ultra-processed (as sweets). The second gulp is as smoky, yet juicier. Smoked nectarines, smoked kumquat, smoked lychee, even, smoked rambutan combine with ink to present a counterpoint to the sweets and burnt peat from earlier. Oh! it retains a hint of burnt hydrocarbons alright; it is more than a one-note whisky is all. In fact, it is more than a little complex. Excellent! I think this unpeated spirit matured in casks previously used to mature peated whisky works better than when Arran distills peated malt themselves. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, MR)
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