Many brands of whiskey, in addition to excellent gastronomic qualities, boast a long history dating back to centuries. But the hero of our story has a completely different “trick”. Arran Whiskey is the youngest brand in Scotland. Nevertheless, he had already managed to win the hearts of connoisseurs of distillates. Than? Let's try to figure it out.
Brand history
The Isle of Arran Distillery distillery appeared only in 1995. The manager of Chivas Regal Harold Curry, having gained experience at the place of work, decided to leave for free bread and start his own business. He chose a place for the distillery on the southernmost archipelago of Scotland, on the island of Arran, near the ancient castle of Lokhranza. An experienced specialist turned out to be a dock in marketing. The distillery is the only one in Arran, so the manufacturer was able to assign the name of the island to his drink. The neighborhood of the proud feudal nest of Lokhranza gave aristocratic respectability to the newly-minted enterprise.
But you won’t get hold of marketing alone. Harold Curry used all his experience to make Arran whiskey one of the best in Scotland. The first bottle of the drink was sold in 2001. Furora did not produce a new drink, but got his fans. And the geographical advantages of the location of the distillery contributed to the success of the whiskey, as well as the innovative production process that Harold Curry uses. We will get acquainted with them in more detail.
Arran Island
The distillery is located in a beautiful valley, protected from the gusty winds by the hills. It should be said that the southernmost island of Arran (off the west coast of Scotland) has a unique microclimate. Unlike other regions of this harsh region, there are almost no winds. And therefore, whiskey from the island of Arran matures faster.
To the warehouse, where about four thousand barrels of drink are waiting in the wings, the warm gusts of the Gulf Stream fly. The salty breeze from the Firth of Clyde Bay gives the drink a freshness. Another important factor is pure spring water. After all, every whiskey consists of it more than half.
Right on the territory of the distillery is the source of Ison Bierach. Water from it, before reaching the surface of the earth, passes through layers of granite, sand, clay and a peat deposit. Thus, it is naturally purified, giving the whiskey a mild flavor and crystal transparency.
Technological process
Two varieties of barley are used in production - “oxbridge” and “optician”. Harold Curry, as an experienced winemaker, decided to extract all the best from the traditional Scottish method of producing whiskey, adding innovative, if not revolutionary, methods to the process. Firstly, he changed the formula of adhesive tape. Curry barley malt decided not to smoke in peat smoke, which is why Arran Scotch whiskey is a bit like an Irish drink in its softness and light sweetness. But the distillery replaced the usual modern stainless steel vats with antique ones made of pine.
The master made distillation cubes very small, similar to those used in Macallan. Thanks to them, for three hours very pure alcohols are obtained. Harold Curry refused cold filtration. For his whiskey, he orders old barrels of American bourbon and Spanish sherry. The drink “breathes” through the pores of the wood, so it loses two percent of its strength every year. When the "share of the angels" evaporates and the whiskey reaches 46 degrees, it is bottled. No dyes are used in the distillery. The drink acquires an amber color solely from contact with the wood of the barrels.
Awards
Harold Curry has to skillfully maneuver to produce an exceptional drink, while at the same time meeting the stringent requirements of the Scotch Whiskey Manufacturers Association. So, he had to abandon the use of barrels from the Norman Calvados. But Curry's efforts did not go in vain. Over the years of his short existence, his company has been awarded many medals. In 2007, she was awarded the title of "Distillery of the Year of Scotland" according to the authoritative publisher Whiskey Magazine.
A separate brand of the distillery - Scotch tape Arran 10 YO - received 93 points out of a hundred possible in the “Whiskey Bible” gurus of this drink Jim Murray. In 2011, Arran whiskey became the drink of the year for the second time, already according to world experts. The fact that this tape is exceptional is evidenced by its price. After all, the Isle of Arran Distillery enterprise itself is considered boutique. It buys raw materials, has no branches outside the island, owns only two storage facilities and produces only 500 thousand liters of whiskey per year.
Brand Overview. The Arran Malt 10 YO
Despite its modest size, the distillery is famous for its amazing variety of brands of whiskey. “Arran Molt 10 years” (bottled in 2008) is characterized by the golden color of ripened barley. The strength of this tape is 46 degrees, but they are not felt due to the mild and surprisingly gentle taste. Shades of spices, fruits and cinnamon are felt in it. The drink has a good velvet texture.
The bouquet has notes of tropical fruits (kiwi, banana, papaya and pineapple), pepper, citrus, vanilla, spices, melon and dark chocolate. The long aftertaste of Scotch is sweet, enveloping and full-bodied, with fading chords of spices and fruits. Scotch tape is not subjected to cold filtration, which is good for its characteristics. This malt is aged 60 percent in sherry barrels, another 40% - from bourbon. This brand is easiest to purchase in Russia.
14 year old scotch tape
Only four additional years spent in barrels, and the taste of the drink is completely changing. The sweetness goes away, and there is a certain brackishness and pungency that lovers of Scottish single malt whiskey like so much. Arran Malt 14 YO is characterized by a strength of 46% and a golden color. The taste of the drink is full-bodied, rich, with creamy honey, caramel and brackish notes, in which the nuances of baked apples, hazelnuts, chocolate and oranges are felt.
The aroma of scotch tape is bright, rich, rich. It reads shades of coconut, butterscotch, vanilla, and all this - with the scent of dried fruits. The finish is very long, slightly brackish, with a touch of cinnamon. The drink is infused for two years in sherry barrels, and then matures in an old bourbon container. In Russia, getting this brand of scotch tape is very difficult. Fourteen-year-old whiskey is packed in a metal gift tube.
Eight Year Old Whiskey
Arran The Sauternes Cask Finish 8 YO The fortress has less than its older brothers - only 50 degrees. This drink has a pleasant golden amber color. The taste of this whiskey is salty, sweet, full-bodied, rich. It is dominated by shades of flowers, honey, banana and hazelnuts. A balanced aroma complements the pleasant taste.
The bouquet has notes of citrus, marzipan, melon, honeysuckle and butter. In reviews of whiskey Arran The Sauternes Cask Finish 8 YO, users assure that the scent of scotch also contains notes of mandarin, marzipan, melon. The aftertaste of this brand is long, with a sensation of tart zest and butter. Most of the time, whiskey matures in barrels of bourbon and sherry, and for another nine months he matures in a container from sauternes. This method adds nuances to the rich bouquet of the drink.
Arran Original 43
The numbers in the name of this brand of whiskey show the degree of fortress. As you can see, scotch tape can be a gift for a lady. On the palate, the spicy pungency of red pepper blends perfectly with the sweetness of creme brulee. Fresh apple notes are also noticeable. To match the taste and bouquet - a delicate, delicate, multifaceted. It is dominated by fruit intonations, where peach is the dominant feature. If water is added to Arran Original 43 whiskey, then the aromas of chocolate, orange and mint will appear in the bouquet.
The color of this brand of adhesive tape is also very delicate, lighter, golden, with playful sparkles. What explains the originality of this "Arran"? The creator gave him only 6 years to ripen. The small strength of the drink allows you to concentrate on savoring the fruit flavor and enjoying a rich multi-faceted bouquet. A 700 ml bottle is sold in a gift tube, which shows mysterious boulders of a strange shape. These stones, which were the subject of worship in the pre-Christian era, can still be found on the island of Arran.
Whiskey Arran Lochranza Reserve
This distillery, having a dilemma in front of it - taste or strength - selects the first indicator. In this brand of adhesive tape, the degree also does not go off scale - only 43% of alcohol. Leading specialist of the distillery James McTaggart worked on the creation of the Arran Lokhranza Reserve formula. With his creation, he proved that light scotch tape is not inferior to Irish whiskey.
The drink is named after the ancient feudal castle of Lokhranz, towering not far from the distillery. The color of this single malt whiskey is light golden, pleasant. The taste is light, delicate, one might say, ladies'. But, unlike the previous brand “Original 43”, “Lokhranza Reserve” has no sweets. On the contrary, there are more brackish notes of the sea breeze, which are perfectly combined with hints of berries, apple and orange marmalade. The bouquet of the drink is rich, multifaceted, with nuances of milk chocolate, lemon zest, green apples and flowers. The finish is long, with notes of creamy toffee.
Cost
As already mentioned above, the distillery is considered a boutique. Its annual production volumes do not exceed 500 thousand liters. This mainly explains the high prices for Arran whiskey. Arran is exported to Western Europe and Japan.
In Russia, the products of this brand are rather difficult to find. In boutiques, there are mainly Lokhranza Reserve brands (3220 rubles per bottle in a metal tube), ten- (3434 rubles), twelve- (5415 rubles) and fourteen-year-old whiskeys (4787 rubles), as well as experimental issues : “Amarone Kask” (4396 rubles), “Mahri Moore” (5091 rubles), “Sautern Kask” (5409 rubles), “Port Kask Finish”, “Boti Quarter Kask”, “Sherry Kask”. Sometimes you can find limited editions like “Arran 2006 Gordon and MacFail”.
Reviews
Despite the undemocratic cost, the products of the Arran distillery are very popular. Users appreciate the taste and bouquet of Arran Scotch whiskey. In the reviews, they argue that, like in traditional scotch, the drink smells of peat smoke. And this is truly strange, because the malt is dried with hot air - this is the signature style of the Arran distillery.
Also, users like that the manufacturer does not use cold filtration, allowing drinks to maintain a rich, multifaceted bouquet. The distillery does not adjust the color of whiskey with artificial dyes. Maybe the shade of the drinks may seem too light, but this is a guarantee of the natural absorption of the enzyme from the wood of the barrels. Users are surprised by the variety of brands of whiskey with small volumes of production. Masters are creative in creating each of their drinks.