Type: Single Malt

Distillery: Arran

Region: Islands, Scotland

Age: NAS

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $45

Peat’s Thoughts: Let’s get the obvious out of the way – this is a peated whisky from a distillery that traditionally does not make peated whisky and thus I had to try it. Plus, the bottle looks pretty cool. From what I’m told (or could find) Machrie Moor is Arran’s foray into lightly peated expressions. And by lightly, I mean it has a mere 20 ppm. I had their second edition, though I do believe they are currently on their fifth. Now, I don’t know if each edition is meant to be a special release along the lines of Bruichladdich’s Octomore or Macallan’s new annual line, but considering that every edition bottle looks the same (with the exception of their cask strength), I doubt. But who knows, I could be wrong. Anyway, on to the whisky! Reading back on my earlier notes, when I first had this last year, I apparently got “that classic rush of smoke.” I was young, naïve and not yet fully immersed in this thing, so I can allow myself some leniency. Now? Well… The smoke is definitely there, but so very faint. Mixed in with that smoke though, you get some citrus that reminds me of burnt fruit. Not sure which fruit. But it’s burnt. Once I taste it though, I can see why I was initially intrigued. There’s a charred oakiness (is that a word? That must be a word, right? Let’s say it’s a word) to it that is pleasantly satisfying. A hint of that earthy feel which lets me know there is some peat in there, but nothing that slaps me in the face. However, for a non Islay spirit, I can’t really complain, since it finishes rather nicely. All in all, it’s pretty nice. Not the peatiest I’ve had, but certainly worth a dram.