The Arran Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Cask Strength)

The Arran Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Cask Strength)

"The reason the distillery was built here," says James MacTaggart, the master distiller at Arran Distillery, "was because there was a very good water supply. In fact, it was tasted and it was decided that it was probably one of the best water supplies in Scotland for making whisky." Situated on the Isle of Arran, Arran Distillery was founded in 1994 by Harold Currie, the former director at Chivas Distillery, and is one of the last remaining independent distilleries in Scotland. When the distillery was finally completed in 1995 construction was halted for nearly a year when a pair of Golden Eagles built their nest near the distillery it became the first legal distillery on the Isle of Arran in over 150 years. Arran Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made from unpeated Scottish barley, which is malted and then fermented using a proprietary strain of yeast. Once the barley has been fermented, the wash is distilled twice first through Arran's copper-pot wash still and then again through Arran's copper-pot spirit still. The stills were custom designed, says MacTaggart, and "shaped to allow the lighter vapors to come up through the stills." As a result, Arran Single Malt Scotch Whisky has an appreciably softer and more delicate flavor profile. Arran Single Malt Scotch Whisky was distilled on July 19, 1999 and matured in an American oak cask that was previously used to mature bourbon. After an eleven-year beautyrest, the whisky was bottled at cask strength on November 19, 2010. It has an aroma of sweet oak, honey, coconut and tropical fruits that give way to notes of citrus, malt and roasted nuts on the palate. The finish is clean and fresh, with a lingering sweetness. Only 206 bottles of this single malt have ever been made. Pick one up today!