Arran 14-year-old

It's not bad, it's easy to drink and very interestingly salty and maritime with an underlying sweet fruitiness. Nevertheless, I prefer the older 14-year-old Arran slightly more, as I can taste more of the distillery character in it.

Character: A pleasant, easy-drinking, and uncomplicated standard. Just as it should be. Doesn't do anything wrong.

Not a complex but quite pleasant whisky, the finish sherry didn't overwhelm, just what you need to drink! 21 21 20 21 83

This is my favorite core range expression of Arran. I fondly remembered the old 14 y/o bottle, and this is as close as they could get to remaking that specific dram. If a very full flavour, packed with tropical fruit, vanilla and the right amount of oak. It's a very flavourful whisky which lingers for quite some time. Would highly recommend this bottling.

Tip: Currently (June 14, 2026) still available for €64 excluding shipping at the "Taunusfass.de" shop. Usually sold out elsewhere.

I find it a bit hot and also somewhat blocked on the nose. The taste is a little better, but still quite peppery.

2cl Sample

Lavender-colored The Arran 14 Year Old disappeared from the range about 8 years ago, but makes its comeback in 2026. It is a vatting of bourbon and Palo Cortado sherry casks and appears for the first time in the new packaging with a pleasing lavender-colored label. Let's get started! Delightful nose of stewed fruit with a surprising maritime edge. Hint of pebbles and plasterboard. Touch of canned mandarin and a drop of maple syrup. Pomme d'Amour and a pinch of cinnamon and clove. Very pleasant and accessible nose. Pleasantly oily on the tongue, with the fruit returning immediately (primarily from the citrus family, supported by some apricots and peaches), on a soft, spicy bed – pepper stands out in particular, but a pinch of salt also returns. The syrup has been swapped for floral honey, while the fruit evolves from fresh towards candied. Dangerously drinkable and perfectly balanced. The finish is medium-long and fruity, but the spices have the last word. Excellent Arran that, fortunately, does not taste of lavender.

aroma: delicate, pears, green apple, butter taste: mild, vanilla, orchard fruit, butter A pleasant, smooth and light whisky. Complete satisfaction

A lovely, honest Arran – though with a label color I'd prefer for the garden. Good thing it doesn't taste like lavender ;)

A surprisingly underwhelming whisky given the anticipation surrounding its return. While it offers the classic Arran hallmarks of fresh orchard fruit, honeyed malt and gentle coastal influence, the overall experience feels too restrained and lacks the depth and character expected from a 14-year-old expression. Nose & Palate * Green apples * Mandarin citrus * Honeyed malt * Light tropical fruits (mango, pineapple) * Vanilla * Gentle coastal salinity * Soft oak * Mild spice The palate is bright, fresh and clean, but also somewhat sharp and thin. The promised Palo Cortado influence is difficult to find, with the whisky presenting far more like a bourbon-cask-driven maturation than a sherry-influenced one. With Water * Sharp edges soften noticeably * More vanilla and bourbon-cask character emerges * Sherry influence remains faint Overall Creamier and more rounded than Arran 10, but lacking the intensity, complexity and flavour impact of Arran Quarter Cask or Arran Sherry Cask. Pleasant enough, but ultimately forgettable and not a bottle worth replacing.

The new Arran 14 is a very pleasant, well-made single malt. Its profile is sweet, sour, and malty. The bourbon cask has the dominant influence. The Palo Cortado sherry influence is more subtle. It's very solid and easy to drink. But somehow it lacks that wow factor. Currently, I'm not quite sure how to categorize it. I need to give the Arran 14 some more time and explore it further. At the moment, it's still a work in progress for me. A good whisky, but I haven't found anything particularly special about it yet.

Nose Spicy, caramel, apple Taste Sweet, Mango, oily, hint of cacao, hint of banana Finish Cacao, grapes, Tabaco

Tasting Starter

[80~84] somewhat flat, one-dimensional or slight flaws, not memorable, nice to know :-\

Waxy Arran, you fly!!!

I obviously have no comparison to the old one, but I don't recall such coconut notes. Otherwise, it's pleasantly fruity, lightly perfumed, and has lovely, slightly salty, oxidized sherry notes. The finish is particularly nice with the Amontillado. Apart from the coconut notes, which in my opinion detract from the malt's freshness, it's a decent standard. But I admit it doesn't completely thrill me.

high quality, well-balanced, even somewhat "smooth" teenager malt, which will please the majority of whisky fans. Hard to remember the old one, as I had a bottle more than 10 years ago. From my memory it was nothing special, although many adore it. I would rate 2026 version slightly higher. But my personal choice in the same price category is 10yo Arran barley.

Guys, is that enough? After wb285519, now this is for €70. There's grass and damp whitewash in my nose. The taste is already more interesting. Unripe melon, white peach and vanilla pastry. disappointment

A classic returns at last!

A delicious whisky, very well balanced. A good daily dram!

From the very first sip, this struck me as an Arran I might actually like quite a bit. I haven't really connected with this distillery's core profile in the past, but while the nose is just as beautiful as other expressions I’ve tried, this time the palate really suits me. Don't get me wrong—it's not a home run, but it is really enjoyable. There’s a downplayed, clean composure to it. This feels like a good candidate to ease my way into the Arran profile.

Simple. Boring. A little bit of pleasant herbs

A new Arran 14! the old one was rather decent, let's try this!