#BottleKill – Arran, Port Cask

Review – Arran Whisky, Port Cask

Well they’ve done it again, Pour & Sip introduced us to the Arran distillery and well in short we love it! One of THE most quaffable drams we have ever had – the port cask is incredible.

Arran Distillery

Opened in 1995 ago the Arran Distillery is based on the Isle of Arran (we know – shocker!). This distillery is about showing off the wonder of the Isle of Arran in a bottle. Focusing on using local water, Lochranza was chosen as the site for the new distillery in 1993. With a brief interlude for a couple of eagles, the spirit first ran through the distillery in 1995 and opened shortly there after.

With a recent makeover – making them one of the most attractive bottles on our shelf – being non-chill filtered, and natural colour has always been at the heart of what Arran Distillery do.

https://www.arranwhisky.com/about/our-story

First Impressions and Reflections

The tube it comes in is fairly understated but it is a great looking bottle! Think Victorian medicine bottle, tall and slender which stands out despite being such a simple design.The whisky itself is a dark liquid from the port cask influence which hints at the deepness of the flavours within.

A first glance at this whisky conjures up briskly cold autumn evenings, huddled around a fire, clad in leather gloves and heavy winter coats. It has a very striking presence on our shelf, holding it’s own against more colourful red-wine and sherry whiskies.

Nose: strawberry jam, hints of aniseed, stewed red fruits, muscovado sugar, baked spiced apples
Palate: black forest gateau, ginger spice, creamy brown sugar (beginnings of cake mix, red fruit jam, caramel
Finish: baking spices, ginger nuts, ginger spice, candied orange peel, chocolate covered cherries, buttery and smooth

We first tasted this whisky in February 2021 – our original tasting notes can be found here.

Final Thoughts

It’s no secret that we are big fans of whisky – but this particular whisky will forever occupy a space on our shelf. Eminently drinkable, this whisky can flex to whatever your occasion. Need a Thursday post-work wind down – Arran port cask. Care-free Friday night – Arran port cask. Tuesday night book club – you guessed it have an Arran port cask. You get the picture …

Sophisticated, inviting, reassuring, friendly, and approachable. Paired with the reasonable price of £44 (Master of Malt) you can’t really go wrong. Comfortably one of our favourites, if only we could get it on subscription!

What’s your absolute go to?