Scotland, the Isles: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Arran

The Isles: Arran

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Arran distillery
Arran Distillery
Lochranza, Arran
Argyll KA27 8HJ
+44 1770 830 264
Owner:Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd.
Creation date:1995

The distillery of the Isle of Arran has been founded by Harold Currie, former director of Chivas and of House of Campbell. The spirit elaborated in the distillery can officially be called "whisky" since summer 1998. To celebrate this event, a limited bottling has been released, to resume an ancestral tradition. Indeed, 150 years ago whisky was already produced on the Isle of Islay. This whisky used to be considered as one of the bests of Scotland.
Isle of Arran is sometimes called "Scotland in miniature" because all the variety of landscapes found in Scotland are present on this small island, like mountains, plains, lakes valleys and royal castles.
In those days, there were about fifty distilleries on the island, most of them being moonlight distilleries.
A part of the casks are stored in the warehouses of Springbank, due to a lack of room in the distillery, and the legal impossibility to extent the current warehouses at Arran distillery.
The whisky of Arran is used in lots of blends, among others Loch Ranze and Holy Isle Cream Liquor.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

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Arran: official bottlings
 

Isle of Arran
Age
 6 years
Alcohol
 43°
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
 Arran
 

The colour is yellow (straw) with greenish glints. The nose is close to malted barley and the fragrances are issued from the distillation (spices) with however slight chocolate hints, coming from the ageing in sherry casks.
The palate is full and mellow and confirms the nose.
The finish is long and sweet-bitter and goes on on notes evoking nuts vanilla and barley.

(la Maison du Whisky)

The distillery is the most recent of Scotland, as it was founded in 1995. The first single malt the distillery marketed is aged 6 years, and  despite its young age, this whisky has great qualities. It is however not yet able to compete with the great single malts, but the production of this interesting distillery must be kept in mind in the coming years, as it could bring us some very nice bottlings.... It is rather unfair to compare a young spirit (6 years) with others who spend more than 10 years in oak casks.

The nose is marked by malt with a hint of sweet spices (cinnamon?). The taste is very sweet, sugared and without a great complexity. The rather short finish is interesting. An excellent alcohol for its age. But personally, I prefer riper alcohols.

A nice freshness at first nosing, something between malt and ripe fruits, with a touch of spices. In the mouth, a kind of dullness, marked by some slightly bitter and "metallic" notes, where the nose impressions are not recognized. The finish is rather bitter as well, some nutty aftertaste and still this "metallic" character, giving the impression the whisky has been served in an iron recipient... The whole is however rather pleasant, and the young age of this whisky makes it a hope for the future.
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Arran First
1995 Distillation
Age
 8 years
Alcohol
 46°
Particularity
 Non chill filtered
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Arran First
This bottle is part of a batch from the first distillation in 1995. Only 2784 bottles have been marketed.
Nose: Warm. Sweet scenty. A hint of salt.
Palate:Clean. Toffee. Creamy. Bananas
Finish:Cedary. Long, soothing. The early releases were promising, and this one has matured well.
A very pleasant smell, with slightly salted but very fresh hints precedes a rather complex and very pleasant taste, which has a kind of sweet-sour character. The non chill filtration adds a very pleasant note to the whole. A rather long finish, with some woody notes crowns this excellent bottle.

The nose detects some honey and green wood hints. The smell is fresh, but not really complex. Probably normal for a malt at this age. In the palate, a nicely sugared whisky, with hints of toffee. But a kind of monotony in the taste. A nice finish, rather long, remaining on slightly woody notes with however a strong impression of alcohol. This impression was paradoxically not present nor at the nose nor in the mouth.
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Isle of Arran
Finished in a Port Cask
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol
 57,5°
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Arran Port finish
A rather fresh nose, announcing a rather young whisky, but not without a certain character, even nearly aggressive. In the palate, the young age of this whisky is revealed by a lack at fullness and a marked presence of alcohol that the port finish did not succeed to hide completely. A lingering and very pleasant finish, where the port appears, giving a rather sweet finishing touch despite the high alcohol degree.

The second tasting just confirmed the first one, especially the aggressive side of a young alcohol. The finish is clearly on the port without losing the roughness of a young and spirited whisky.

Quite a pleasant nose despite some alcohol hints making the nose tingle, some wax ane malted notes. In the mouth, an interesting mix of toasted malted barley, some citrus fruits, a bit of woody bitterness, discrete coffee notes and a kind of overall sweetness. The finish is warm and its length is quite long, but without exaggeration.
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Isle of Arran
Age
 10 years
Alcohol
 46°
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
Arran 10
COLOR : Deep gold with greenish glints.
NOSE : fresh and elegant, it is marked by fruits (pear) and vanilla on a background of subtle coconut notes.
PALATE: oily. Frank and precise attack. Notes of pears in syrup. It developes on ripe fruits
(cherry plum), dry fruits (raisin, haselnut) and oak.
FINISH : dominated by citrus fruits (orange, lemon). Herbal (cut hay) it developes on fruits (pear, les agrumes dominent (orange, citron). Herbacée (foin coupé), elle se prolonge sur les fruits (pêche blanche, medlar).
(la Maison du Whisky)
The nose is wuite fresh and pleasant, without any aggressiveness. A smooth and suave nose with nice fruity but rather discrete hints. Some vanilla too. In the palate, a kind of complexity, where malt and fruity hints share are both "papilla catchers" at first, and then it developes on slightly acid notes, between metal and wood, and at last, nice bitter touches (nut), when the alcohol impression begins to appear. Strange enough, at the first contact in the palate, this whisky gave an impression of beeing watery, than the presence of alcohol becomes obvious, before disappearing after a while. The finish is pleasant and rather long, smooth just like the first nosing. Quite a special bottle...

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Arran
100° proof

Age
 8 years
Alcohol
 57°
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Aran 100 proof
Powerful floral whiffs are really delightful for the nostrils. Several nuances, all of them being very pleasant.
The mouth too is very pleasant, relatively complex with a nice mix of smooth, fruity and malty notes and some quite acid hints and others discretely bitter ones. The whole is very nice.
The finish is lingering and perfectly balanced, just like the nose and the mouth were...

Comment by Johannes Sauer

Colour: Bright clear apple juice
Nose: A firm maltiness with a complex fruity and floral approach. Crème brûlée with fresh apples. Palate: oily, the vanishing of the alcohol releases a wonderful fruity malt-combination not without a soft spicy vanilla note. The addition of water increases this impression.
Finish: Long and malty. Conclusion: This is love at the first taste, a malt which does not need any peat.

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Arran: independent bottlers

Arran
Berry's Own Selection
Age
 10 years
Alcohol
 54,6°
Bottler
 Berry Bros & Rudd
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Arran 1996 Berry Bros & Rudd
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The Isles

Campbeltown map

The Scottish coast is surrounded by isles where whisky is produced, specially on the West coast (Mull, Skye, Arran and Jura) and on the North (Orkney)
The most important island from a whisky point of view is Islay, but this one is considered as a production area on its own.

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Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Isles area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

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