Arran and its cask finishes…
A Scot on Scotch reviews Arran Distillery’s Amarone Cask Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky…
With this blog, Arran has become the first whisky to feature twice on this website. I’m sure the team at Lochranza will be whooping and punching the air in wild celebration when the news reaches them. Truth is, though, I’ve been a fan of Arran’s malt for a while now so it was always going to pop up fairly regularly on these pages. This particular expression also highlights the art of cask finishing, which is a current trend I’ve been meaning to explore in more depth…
The Arran malt is a relative newcomer by Scotch standards – the distillery was established in 1995 – and the spirit it produces arguably has more in common with the light, fruity whiskies of Speyside than with other island drams.
The distillery’s dedication to bottling the whisky at 46% or above, however, is an indicator of their determination to show the spirit off in its best light. The flavours may be light and fruity, but they still have depth and intensity – something that would likely be lost were the strength reduced to 40%.
There’s a core range of 10, 12, 14 and 18-year-old expressions, with occasional single cask releases. Of particular interest, however, is the distillery’s range of Cask Finishes. Whiskies that offer some intriguing new takes on the distillery’s house style.
In my review of Gordon & MacPhail’s Highland Park 2006 cask strength release, I explained that ex-Bourbon Barrels account for the vast majority of casks used by the Scotch industry. In the past, however, much of the nation’s spirit would likely have been aged in European Oak casks, that had been used to transport various wines from the continent.
Changes to the law, with regards to where sherry can be bottled, not to mention declining sales in fortified wines, has led to those casks being somewhat difficult to obtain – at a sensible price, at least. That’s a problem for Scotch producers because the flavours imparted by these casks have become a crucial component of our whisky’s character.
Perhaps with a view to better using these expensive casks, the industry developed the technique of cask finishing. This is when our spirit will mature first in an ex-bourbon cask, before being transferred to a second, often ex-sherry, cask. The change of wood allows the spirit to take on new layers of flavour, on top of the solid base provided by the bourbon barrel.
In recent times, we’ve seen more diverse casks being used to “finish” whisky, fuelled, no doubt, by a whisky drinking public keen to seek out new tastes and new experiences.
Arran Distillery has adopted the practice with more gusto than most and has showcased their results with their Wine Cask Finish range. The three whiskies currently available, are finished in ex-Sauternes, ex-Port and ex-Amarone Cask Finishes, each of which is unique and interesting, but for me, it’s the latter that really stands out.
Arran Amarone Cask Finish Review
Tasting notes: Chocolate Orange – Jaffa Cakes! Cherries and cranberries with toffee and a wee bit of caramel. Some woody vanilla and light pepper spice. On the palate, you pick up the dryness of the Amarone. There’s chocolate and orange liqueur, with cranberries and grapes and even some cinnamon.
Thoughts: Arran seems to be quite a flexible single malt. It performs well in bourbon, sherry and apparently, Italian red wine casks. Their Cask Finish series is pretty strong in general but the Amarone is definitely a personal favourite. The winey top notes add something new to the character of the spirit and it’s quite unlike anything else I can think of that’s widely available on the market at present. It’s also very reasonably priced at just £45. That’s a particularly good price point for a malt bottled at 50%. Arran took a while to find its way into people’s affections but for me, the distillery has really found its feet in the last couple of years. I’d even argue that it’s one of the better performers on the market now – with five or six excellent and affordable drams regularly available. Great distillery, great whisky.
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