“We hand-delivered this 1st fill bourbon octave to James MacTaggart at the distillery in Lochranza in the summer of 2017. In turn, James very kindly filled it with the wonderful, citrussy Arran spirit. Just five and a half years later the results are spectacular. Extremely limited outturn. “
Appearance: Summer honey/sunset yellow. A nice and oozy liquid clings to the glass with ease. A thick beaded swirl mark encircles the glass, with multiple teardrops, as well as long thick trails.
Nose: Immediately noticeable high ABV, but not at the detriment of the dram. Lots of honey, vanilla, wood spice and salted pistachios.
Dusty bookshelf and damp basement funk, and lots of it.
Some marzipan makes an appearance after some time, along with a touch of nutmeg.
Palate: A lovely spot smooth mouthfeel with equally silky buttery caramel, subtle black pepper, vanilla and some confectionary sugar.
Blackberries, milk chocolate and honey add another beautiful layer.
Finish: The confectionary sugar, black pepper tingle and vanilla last for a medium amount of time. There’s a slight lemon zest undercurrent too.
Overall: Is an absolute banger and I immediately went to grab a bottle as not many were in the outrun. I stopped when I saw it was £100 though. I love A.D.Rattray but this particular 5-year-old is too rich for my blood I’m afraid.
