Isle of Arran

Isle of Arran Tasting Event: Lochranza aka Arran Distillery & Lagg Distillery – THANK YOUs to Hotaling & Company, Lochranza & Lagg Distilleries, and NICK AHLEN (who coordinated this tasting). As it’s difficult to procure 6 Lochranza and Lagg at one time in our market, it took Nick months to assemble the whiskies for our flight. Well done! First a confession: the name of the distillery in Lochranza, Isle of Arran, is ‘Lochranza Distillery’. That said, the veteran single malt aficionados call it ‘Arran Distillery’. Call it what you may, but note this: ARRAN is amazingly good whisky! Let’s begin with Arran 18 Year, which is an annual release.

The 2025 Edition is the best ever Arran 18 as it was matured for 18 years in Oloroso sherry casks of toasted Spanish red oak and then finished for several months in first-fill Oloroso casks. Arran Amarone Cask Finish was first aged in bourbon barrels and then finished for 9-12 months in fresh Italian red wine casks, namely Amarone della Valpolicella from Veneto. (This whisky alone will draw Dennis Sullivan in from the remote reaches of the Blue Ridge Mountains, if the snow finally melts off.) Arran Quarter Cask – The Bothy is aged in Bourbon casks and then finished in a 125L quarter cask (made with former Bourbon cask slaves). Lagg Kilmory Edition, a core offering, was peated at 50-ppm and aged in Bourbon cask. Lagg Corriecravie Edition, the second elixir to join Lagg’s core range, was also peated at 50-ppm and finished for 6+ months in Oloroso sherry hogsheads casks (250L/66-USG) of toasted Spanish red oak. Our final dram, Arran Sauternes Cask Finish, the Arran range is unpeated, was aged in Bourbon barrels and then finished for at least 6 months in Sauternes casks of toasted French oak formerly used for the sweet Bordeaux white dessert wine.

Do bring a friend as ‘good whisky is made great when shared among friends.’