Tasting Notes for Arran Quarter Cask 'The Bothy' Single Malt
Nose: Honeyed malt balanced by oaky spice and a whiff of bright citrus.
Palate: Coconut and almond, followed by apricot and pineapple. Black pepper and menthol.
Finish: Lingering cherry and cinnamon on the finish.
-
The Arran Single Malt selected for this cask strength expression was initially matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels for 7 years before being transferred for secondary maturation into smaller Quarter casks also made of the finest American oak for a further 2 years. The process of transferring our whisky into the smaller 125 litre sized casks for their final 2 years of maturation produces far greater contact between the whisky & oak and a faster, more intense maturation.
The end result is a full-bodied expression of Arran Single Malt combining power and finesse full of rich vanilla sweetness and bold peppery spice. Bottling at natural Cask Strength without chill-filtration or artificial colouring of any sort presents this whisky in its purest form. Small casks would have been a common feature of the Arran whisky trade in the eighteenth & nineteenth centuries as they were easier to handle and transport around the island. Arran are bringing this tradition back to life with their much-loved Quarter Cask expression.
-
Historically, The Isle of Arran has always had a reputation for making outstanding whisky due to the quality of the water, and was at various times home to more than 50 illicit distilleries. Strangely, the only licenced whisky-making facility on Arran was Lagg, which operated from 1825 to 1837.
Isle of Arran Distillers was established in 1993 by former Chivas Brothers managing director, Harold Currie, and two associates, and The Isle of Arran’s second legal distillery was built at Lochranza, in the north of Arran. Production commenced in August 1995, and by now it is the Isle of Arran’s longest running distillery.
Although Isle of Arran is one of Scotland’s newer distilling operations, having started operations in 1995, it has fast gained a reputation for making some of the best whiskies around with its fruit forward style, and multiple awards have been collected from the World’s most prestigious competitions.
In 2017, with the business flourishing, Isle of Arran Distillers added two additional stills at its Lochranza site, and began the construction of a second distillery on the south side of the island at Lagg. Having started production in March 2019, Lagg distillery takes care of all the company’s peated whisky requirements and releases its whisky under the Machrie Moor brand.
-
Producer Isle of Arran Distillers' Lochranza Distillery Style Highlands & Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky Age A minimum of 9 years Volume 70CL ABV 56.2%