Robert Burns Single Malt (43%)
To celebrate Robbie Burns Day 2024, what else but the Isle of Arran Distillers malt named after the famed poet?
This whisky is a mainstay at the LCBO around this time of year, and as one of the least expensive Scottish malts on the shelves, a most affordable indulgence, to boot! I seem to always find myself buying a bottle in January, both because of the Burns affiliation and because, well, it’s cheap and good.
Further, as an occasional purchaser of Arran whiskies through the years, I have noted that the distiller has been upping its game quite a bit of late, witnessed by my generally positive review of the Barrel Reserve last August, and an impressive recent sampling of the quarter cask edition known as ‘The Bothy.’ So, has the Burns malt improved proportionately?
Very pale gold in colour, there is no mention of the age of this whisky, but both its light colour and the sweet pear notes in its aroma – not to mention the price! – suggest that it is on the young side. At one time, that might have been a concern, but in this day and age of advanced maturation techniques and high-end no age statement whiskies, it is certainly much less so.
In addition to the sweet pear on the nose, there are fresh notes of oak and vanilla, a hint of desiccated coconut, and just a touch of cotton candy. The front of the palate is sweet, with candied pear notes and honey leading to a drying mid-palate of fresh and dried green apple and pear, light nutmeg and vanilla, finishing dry with peppery oak.
While I’d say that this is definitely improved from what it was several years ago, it is still at its heart a fairly simple and straight-forward, some might say ‘accessible,’ spirit, reminiscent to me of the Barrel Reserve, although with a lighter complexity. Still, a lovely afternoon or aperitif malt at a very good price, sufficiently impressive that I might even pick up a second bottle before supply disappears for another year.
78 ($60 - $72; while I don’t generally do single store endorsements, while researching prices across Canada I noted that the Rocky Mountain store in Calgary presently has this on sale for $44!)