Make way for one of the finest Bourbon matured whiskies out there. A cask-strength celebration of the bourbon cask and all it has to offer from legendary distillery – Arran – the Arran Quarter Cask ‘The Bothy’!
This Arran Quarter Cask expression is a complex, rich and intensely fruity Single Malt Whisky. A Cask Strength delight and full-bodied expression of Arran Single Malt combining power and finesse full of rich vanilla sweetness, creamy custard and fresh fruit. Bottling at natural Cask Strength without chill-filtration or artificial colouring of any sort presents this whisky in its purest form.
The Arran Single Malt selected for this cask strength expression was initially matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels before being transferred for secondary maturation into smaller Quarter casks also made of the finest American oak. The process of transferring the whisky into the smaller 125 litre sized casks produces far greater contact between the whisky & oak and a faster, more intense maturation. With the much-loved Quarter Cask expression, Arran proudly bring this tradition back to life.
A ‘bothy’ is the highland slang for a small house or cottage. ‘The Bothy’ name pays homage to the huge illicit whisky industry that existed on the Isle of Arran in days past. The scores of small distilleries were commonly housed in such dwellings – and the whisky commonly aged in small (eg quarter) casks. The smaller casks were much easier to hide and transport than their bigger siblings. Hence, The Arran Quarter Cask ‘The Bothy’.
It’s been a while since we did a good old fashioned, bourbon cask aged whisky. Now we’re often guilty of making a big fuss over a ‘sherry-bomb’ or a ‘peat monster’ but there doesn’t seem to be a colloquialism or nickname for a whisky that sets out to highlight the delights to be found in a bourbon cask. In some, respects they are the under-sung back bone of the whisky industry.
Scottish whisky was traditionally aged in sherry casks from Spain and Portugal since it was first found that leaving raw spirit in a barrel for a few years does wonders for it’s taste!. Due primarily to the abundance of empty sherry casks in Britain rather than any concern for flavours. But in the 1970s this supply of sherry casks was severely limited when Spanish sherry producers began bottling in-house rather than exporting barrels of sherry.
The Scottish whisky industry thus turned to America to supply oak barrels. Luckily – the production of Bourbon in the USA produces many ex-bourbon casks. The reason for this is that to be called ‘Bourbon’, the spirit (amongst other conditions) must be aged in previously un-used barrels. Once the barrel has been used a single time – it can no longer be used to age ‘’bourbon’. Hence, the whisky industry found a new source of casks and the rise of the ‘bourbon matured’ single malt whisky began.
So, what characteristics do Bourbon casks impart to the spirits they mature? They add the vanilla notes, the light florals the citrus and the grassy notes. In a lot of ways, they add the treble notes in a whisky if you’re musically inclined. The green notes vs the red. The fresh fruits notes rather than the stewed. The intense level of charring [usually] given to bourbon barrels acts a a filter – taking out many of the unpleasant tasting compounds in the spirit. Thus ‘rounding’ or ‘smoothing’ the spirit (a ‘subtractive’ process) also effecting the final product.
OUR TASTING NOTES
Nose: Fresh pears and pineapple alongside grassy note, fragrant florals and a vanilla kick.
Palate: A veritable fruit salad on the palate – apples, pears and even some banana notes smothered in baked a vanilla custard.
Finish: Ahh that sweet, sweet vanilla just goes on and on wrapping around oak and citrus notes.
Just a few drops of water in this cask strength offering opens up the flavours wonderfully and tames that high abv remarkably! The Arran Quater Cask is a sweet, yet crisp bourbon-blaster if ever there was one!
FROM ARRAN
Nose: Apple tart, pineapple brioche
Palate: The citrus hallmarks of Arran welcome you, and the sweet spice of cinnamon and vanilla promises a memorable dram.
Finish: Sweetness, Honey, Pineapple, Vanilla, Coconut.
ABOUT ARRAN
The Arran Distillery (now known as the Lochranza Distillery since the construction of the Arran Distillers second distillery – Lagg – in the south of the Isle of Arran) was founded in 1995, which makes it one of the younger distilleries in Scotland. It was the first legal distillery on the Isle of Arran since 1837. It should be noted though, that more than 50 illegal stills were working in various hidden locations on the island in the early 19th century. So whisky production isn’t exactly in the experimental/developmental stage here. In fact, the Islands whisky producers (both legal and illicit) have enjoyed the reputation of producing some of the best whisky in Scotland.
Every drop of Arran Single Malt starts its life as rainwater which pools at Loch na Davie in the beautiful hill high above the distillery. The clear water cascades down the hillside, through six unassuming waterfalls, each one purifying the water further. The name of the burn, Easan Biorach, means ‘Sharp Waterfalls’ in Gaelic. The purity of the water means that the distilling team can create a clean, sweet dram which is entirely natural and unadulterated.
The islanders of Arran like to boast they have the purest water in Scotland and claim that this water, plus the warm ‘micro-climate’ are two contributing factors to the island’s reputation for great whisky. We’re not sure just how ‘warm’ the micro-climate is though, with the Isle of Arran’s average summer temperature hovering around 14 degrees C. But we are sure that with temperatures like this – the Isle of Arran offers an ideal dramming climate.
Arran is a truly independent distillery owned by a small group of shareholders rather than a faceless corporation which is all too rare these days so worth supporting, especially when they produce such lovely whiskies.
Of interest, the ‘Isle of Arran Distillers’ have just finished building a new distillery (also on the Isle of Arran) which will specialise in peated offerings.
