Several single casks have been identified by James MacTaggart and bottled as single cask distillery exclusives and White Stag Community bottles with enormous success. Arran distillery is growing exponentially in popularity amongst Scotch whisky enthusiasts and, impressively, the distillery is the most visited in Scotland, with more than 100,000 people per year making the trip.
Auction estimate: £5,500 - £6,500
| Distillery | Arran |
| Region | Islands |
| Age | 3 years |
| Distillation Date | September 17, 2017 |
| Cask Type | 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel |
| Peated? | No |
| Original Litre of Alcohol (OLA) | 126.70 litres |
| Re-gauge ABV | 61.70% |
| New Bulk Litres | 199.00 litres |
| Re-gauge Date | N/A |
| Bottles | 284 |
| Cask Number | 17/2505 |
When the distillery was in its infancy first fill bourbon casks were rarely used, in fact between 1995 and 2005 more than 90% of the casks used at Arran were second fill. Since this time there has been a shift towards using fresh, first fill casks which are deemed to be the optimum wood for Arran’s spirit.
“You need to have a good wood policy.”
—James MacTaggert, Distillery Manager 2017
And Arran absolutely does, working with Kelvin Cooperage, a family run cooperage firm who were founded in Glasgow and relocated to Louisville, Kentucky in 1991. Kelvin Cooperage has a vast inventory of Bourbon casks from Kentucky where this barrel originated and has supplied many major Scottish distilleries since 1963.
The Isle of Arran has its own microclimate where temperatures are generally higher than the mainland; this was true the week this cask was filled. Edinburgh shivered with lows of 2°C , whilst Arran basked with highs of 12°Cand with higher humidity percentage.
A higher, and more constant, average temperature increases the angel’s share and the ABV would be expected to drop at a higher rate. However, after 3 and a half years in cask, this spirit remains at a high 61%. The spirit could continue maturing in this cask for many years without the fear of losing substantial ABV and bulk volume.
Arran operates one of the slowest distillation runs in the whisky industry and according to the master distiller at the time of this cask being filled, it is because whisky production cannot be rushed and increased copper interaction allows the spirit to take on a fruitier characteristic.
The fermentation time of 60 hours, combined with slow distillation, means Arran’s spirit is beautifully fresh and fruity, and therefore works in harmony with fresh ex-bourbon casks like the one we have for auction here.
James MacTaggart became the distillery manager of Arran from 2007 and immediately had a positive impact, winning distillery manager of the year in his inaugural year. His career in whisky began in 1975 on his native Islay at the Bowmore Distillery.
Throughout his tenure James MacTaggart has focused and honed the first fill bourbon maturation process at the distillery. The small-scale nature of Arran’s distillery means that he works closely with their cask suppliers and is extremely hands-on with the distillation process.
“I find that the bourbon barrel really allows the bright vibrant character of the Arran spirit to shine through at its absolute best.”
—James MacTaggert, Distillery Manager 2017
In 2017 James MacTaggart celebrated a decade as the master distiller at Arran distillery and hand picked a selection of 10 year old casks for bottling. These 12 thousand bottles were cask strength, first-fill bourbon barrels, just like the one we have here. If he deems the quality to be there for a limited release, then we are reassured that we have excellent whisky on our hands!
Over the last few years Arran distillery have experimented with a number of cask finishes, with varying success, but at the heart of almost all whisky from this relatively new distillery is initial maturation in first-fill bourbon casks such as this.
Several single casks have been identified by James MacTaggart and bottled as single cask distillery exclusives and White Stag Community bottles with enormous success. Arran distillery is growing exponentially in popularity amongst Scotch whisky enthusiasts and, impressively, the distillery is the most visited in Scotland, with more than 100,000 people per year making the trip.
“Dark chocolate is the theme for this young Arran whisky. Which is a good sign, I think. The first thing I noticed on the nose was Black Forest Gateau, a very boozy variety with strong cherry notes. There are also a lot of malty flavours as well as a few sharp new make notes. The dark chocolate and the malty notes continue on the palate now with a flavour and texture that reminds me of al dente pasta. It’s the combination of sweet and savoury; like the slightly caramelised crisp skin of a roasted sweet potato.”
– Seoyoung ’Mila’ Kang
Project Manager
Once an island of small scale, illicit production, Arran’s agriculture was able to support around 50 stills of questionable legality at its southern half. Known as ‘Scotland in miniature’, Arran has highlands, but also fertile plains where barley can grow well – a microcosm of Scotland on one island. Arran distillers have partnered with the Agronomy Institute of Orkney to develop a modern version of traditional bere barley, something that will grow well on Scotland’s islands and establish a local fertility that will feed the whiskies of the future.
We have a pair of casks from this distillery, both distilled in the second half of 2017. One contains peated spirit, the other unpeated. They may have grown up in an almost identical environment, but these sibling casks have wildly different personalities, originating from the nature of the barley at their core.
Buyer’s note: We cannot offer a photo of this cask due to the regulations on Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations that are imposed in the warehouse.
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