I love adding whisky finished in interesting casks to my collection. A rum finished whisky or a Sauternes cask finish adds interesting dimensions to the whisky and also to my collection. I have plenty of bourbon, and Sherry cask finishes, a Madeira cask finish and even a Merlot cask finish.
But one of the finishes I enjoy the most, looking at the nearly empty bottle on my shelf, is the Arran Napoleon Cognac single cask finish Scotch whisky. I can’t find many whiskies aged in Cognac casks. Not currently in South Africa anyway.
The Arran distillery is situated to the east of the village of Lochranza, on the isle of Arran, Scotland.
At its peak, there were over 50 distilleries located on the isle. Founded in 1993, the distillery is the only one left on the island.During its construction, a pair of Golden Eagles built their nest in the crags above the distillery. Golden Eagles are a protected species.
Construction of the distillery was temporarily halted to allow the eagles to hatch their chicks. On a warm summer’s day, you may see the eagles gliding high on the thermal currents.
Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde. With an area of 432 square kilometres, it is the seventh-largest Scottish island. Production of whisky started in 1995. It has been claimed that the water used for The Arran Malt is the purest in all of Scotland.
But for today, let’s stand still and appreciate the Arran Napoleon Cognac cask whisky. Cognac is a variety of brandy produced in the wine-growing region around the town of Cognac.
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Arran Napoleon Cognac Cask Whisky Review
This whisky was aged in Napoleon Cognac casks from A Hardy. A Napoleon Cognac designates a blend in which the youngest cognac was aged for at least 6 years. I have The Arran Napoleon Cognac cask bottle no 15 of 456. It was bottled 19 Sept 06 at an ABV of 51.8%.
REGION: Scottish Islands
ABV: 51.8%
COLOUR: Light gold
NOSE: Initially there are rose florals, fresh grapes and oak with hints of honeycomb sweetness floating about. It’s got a remarkably clean and flavourful aroma. Slowly the cognac notes start to build on the nose. When you nose it for the second time, more of the cognac sweetness comes through.
PALATE: Very surprising. It has far more cognac then expected. It hits you with a lot of cinnamon spice and then the traditional long slow lingering cognac finish. Some of the fermented grape notes, associated with Cognac, come through beautifully.
There are hints of leather and wood. The addition of water brings a lot of smoothness and takes away some of the spice. Water releases a bit more sweetness as well.
FINISH: It lingers and warms the heart. With the addition of water, the dram finishes on the more classic notes of dried wood, citrus and notes of leather.
RATING: EXCELLENT
This Arran Napoleon Cognac cask whisky is a dram that will polarize people. For the lovers of Cognac, this is a brilliant dram. Those who prefer the traditional style of whisky may not rush to this particular expression.
However, I find this an excellent dram. It’s different, it’s unique, it has personality and balances the oak sweetness wonderfully with the fruity Cognac notes.
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