Arran Machrie Moor Cask Strength

Arran Machrie Moor Cask Strength

Region: Highlands

ABV: 56.2%

Price: £48.75 

Produced at Lochranza Distillery on the Isle of Arran, Machrie Moor Cask Strength is the cask-strength version of Arran’s lightly peated single malt, matured in ex-bourbon casks. The expression was originally released in numbered editions but is now part of the permanent range, It carries no age statement, and Arran does not disclose the distillation years, Peated whisky production on Arran ceased in 2017, so Machrie Moor is now drawn from older stocks distilled at Lochranza. 

Nose

Palate

The palate is more interesting, with a nice balance of sweetness and log fire smoke. Cream soda, simple syrup and vanilla cupcakes provide plenty of sweetness, while ash and a touch of spice appear towards the medium length finish and balance things nicely. The mouthfeel is good too, with a slightly weighty texture to it.

Nose (with water)

Water brings out more alcohol spice alongside a more savoury edge, particularly cashew nuts. There’s also some synthetic strawberry sweetness, but overall the nose feels simpler than it did neat, with some of the earlier complexity disappearing. The smoke remains relatively prominent.

Palate (with water)

The palate becomes much more lemon-led after dilution, with lavender now appearing alongside the citrus. The sweetness has diminished, while the spice towards the finish has intensified somewhat. It’s drier too, with a little more bitterness, although the mouthfeel remains good and the finish stays medium in length.

Conclusion

The nose doesn’t do a huge amount for us, with more alcohol and less obvious Arran character than we were expecting, but the neat palate is considerably better. There’s a really enjoyable balance between sweetness, and smoke, backed up by a solid mouthfeel. Water doesn’t help, making the whisky simpler, drier and spicier while muting some of the sweetness that worked well.

Score: 6.5/10

Value

At under £50 for a cask strength peated Arran, the pricing feels very reasonable.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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