Cadenhead Small Batch Arran 1997 Aged 19 Years Style: Fruity, Oily and Spicy Nose: Fragrant apples, peaches and apricots lightly painted with honeycomb wax. Candied fruits adding more richness to the core. Lemon aloe vera, a powerful surge of spice, especially considering it is 52.4%. Then we have ginger, peppermint and a touch of nutmeg to finish. Fruity and spicy. Thoughts: Starts with a spicy cut on the palate, followed by apple cubes, tropical fruits and some grassy eau de vie to give a herbal tone. The drier facet begins to show – ginger shreds, nutmeg and coffee beans. Cider with a lick of salty butter. Malt biscuits towards the end. Finish: More yellow butter notes lingering, apple pie and red fruits fainting slowly. Thoughts: A pleasant small batch offering from the Cadenhead. The symmetrical contribution from the Sherry and Boubon cask gives a comfortable balance to the expression. Relatively dense stone fruit sweetness bolstered up a satisfactory, oily texture. Not your usual Arran I guess, which is generally lighter, but I quite like this, tick!