Recently Released: Arran 1997-2014 16 Year Old Official Private Cask 'The UN-Official almost 17th' #1997/525

Although I don't know much about this private cask, it's delicious. Arran ISLE OF ARRAN 1997-2014 16yo OB Private Cask 'The UN-Official almost 17th' #1997/525 52.1% one of 270 bottles, Sherry Hogshead The aroma features a gentle sweet sherry, cake soaked in spirits, dried orange, chocolate, cinnamon, Armagnac, toasted barley, and nuts. The palate is softer than the ABV suggests, with a clean sherry character, rich sweetness of orange marmalade, light tannins that balance the flavor, and a rich finish. [Good/Very Good] Bottled in 2014, this Arran 1997 was distilled in April 1997 and bottled in March 2014, making it almost 17 years old. However, the private cask 'The UN-Official almost 17th' leaves me unsure about who bottled it and the circumstances. Overall, this cask stands out as particularly good among Arran's stable sherry casks, with a pleasant Armagnac-like intoxication. The combination of fruit and barley notes evokes the image of a fine spirit-soaked fruit cake. While the aroma is more pronounced, the flavor has a balanced sweetness and tannin, making it a delicious sherry cask Arran. Recently in Yurakucho, there's been a trend of purchasing and opening private cask Arrans from various sources, including bottles like this one that are somewhat mysterious. With so many opportunities to drink them, I think various places have been packing a lot into their offerings. Indeed, with official bottles having skyrocketed in price, this reasonably priced Arran with stable bourbon and sherry quality is appealing to many companies or groups seeking single cask private bottlings. Compared to other sherry Arrans, this one felt deeper and more superior.