Arran is both beautiful and unique. With its mountains, lowlands, glens, lochs and royal castles, it has all the scenery of Scotland and affectionately known as ‘Scotland in Miniature’. Lochranza Distillery was built in the foothills of the homonymous village in 1994, the first spirit ran from the stills on 29th June 1995 bringing legal distillation back to Arran after more than 150 years.
At Lochranza Distillery we try to create a spirit that is true to its roots – a rich but gentle, fruity whisky that still holds a lot of character - a Speyside from an island, as we call it. There are many factors that make the Arran Single Malt unique and Isle of Arran Distillers being an Independent Company allows us to focus on the quality of our Single Malt, from barley to glass, without compromises.
We look at fermentation and distillation as fundamental factors of our whisky making process as they give our spirit its unique character and texture. In Lochranza we have 6 Oregon-pine washbacks which we fill with wort created only with 100% Scottish Barley and Distiller’s Yeast. We run one of the slowest distillations in the industry and our small, thin stills with narrow necks create a lighter and fruitier spirit. They allow us to collect the highest volatile alcohols, giving us floral, elegant and soft esters compounds for a complex spirit that is easy to drink yet holds an interesting rich texture.
The Isle of Arran is situated off the south-west of Scotland where it benefits from the warmth of the Gulf Stream coming from the south and it is also “sheltered” by the Kintyre peninsula and the Ayrshire coast on both sides. We make the most of the unique Arran microclimate by maturing most of our casks on the island in both Lagg and Lochranza warehouses. Our wood policy has improved greatly since 1995 and today we only use 1st and 2nd fill casks from different bodegas, cooperages and wine producers around the world. Despite the fact that we are quite traditional in the way we make whisky, we also enjoy being a young and experimental company. Different casks maturation, different barley varieties or different ppm levels of malted barley can be found in our core range or limited-edition products.
Our classic Arran 10 Year Old Single Malt is the benchmark of the range as it encompasses the unique taste of the beautiful island we call home. Un-colored, un-chill filtered and bottled at 46%, it is one of the best single malt whiskies Scotland has to offer with its creamy texture, sweet vanilla and orchard fruits notes.
The Barrel Reserve is on the smoother and fresher side with delicate marine notes, fresh citrus and crispy apples. 100% matured in 1st Fill Bourbon Barrels and bottled at 43% it is soon going to become your go-to dram for every occasion - neat, with ice or in a longer drink or cocktail.
Arran Barrel Reserve Single Malt Whisky is now available in all Oddbins stores and online. Click the image below for more -
