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Arran

Arran Barrel Reserve (70cl, 43% ABV)

€44.75 $47.46 £38.94

Spice

Pepper, cinnamon, ginger, herbs

Aged Scotch whisky is often much softer and easier on the palate than its alcohol strength would imply. So much so, in fact, that sometimes you need something to liven things up a bit. Luckily, a good number of single malts possess lively spicy flavours, some of them in great enough quantities to challenge tequila (naming no names). Others are a little more restrained, but still with the warming tingle of Christmas pudding and mulled wine.

A lengthy maturation, particularly in a large cask (e.g. ex-sherry), generally means more oxygen is allowed into the cask to react with the spirit and develop more complex flavours. These may include spicy flavours - lignin compounds break down over time, releasing more intense spicy notes into the spirit, while the high acidity and relatively low alcohol content of sherry often serve to bring out spicier notes from the cask wood. Clove and cinnamon flavours often derive from eugenols produced via toasting - that is, firing the wood of the casks over a medium heat for anything between 15 to 45 minutes (to be contrasted with charring, where the wood is fired for a very short time over a much hotter flame). Some of the most intense spicy flavours come not from the cask at all, but from the still: a lighter spirit (such as that produced in a tall still) will often have more kick than something more rounded.

Spicy characteristics are generally used to complement other strong flavours, such as dried fruit (e.g. Aberlour) or peat (Ardbeg), but the style is probably best showcased by the expansive and varied Highland region. Highland malts generally eschew excessive subtlety for bold and full flavours, and so often showcase strongly spicy styles. The best examples by far are in the Northern Highlands: Glenmorangie has a light spice that is perhaps better described as herbal; but a small distance to the north, Clynelish and Old Pulteney provide a salty, firey yet still sweet style that prickles all over the palate. Their eastern counterparts, such as Glen Garioch or Glendronach, retain a gingery warmth that it is not so much restorative as elixir.

The strength and spark of such potions pairs very well with similarly lively cigars: Partagas is an obvious match, as is Ramon Allones; but the peppery notes of a Cohiba or Bolivar will also go very well.

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Arran Barrel Reserve (70cl, 43% ABV)

‘Arran’ was the newest and only working distillery on the Isle of Arran (located on the...read more

Tasting Notes

Nose:
Fresh cut grass, green apple peel

Palate:
Lemon tart, salted caramel fudge, vanilla pod

Finish:
Crushed sea salt, aromatic vanilla spice

Product Info

Arran Barrel Reserve (70cl, 43% ABV)

‘Arran’ was the newest and only working distillery on the Isle of Arran (located on the west coast of scotland) for almost 26 years until the renewal of Lagg. Both run by Chivas, Lagg has taken the responsibility of producing the islands smoky whisky whilst Arran, for the first time since its inception, now makes only unpeated spirit. Although there was a history of illicit distilling on the island dating back to before 1837, several downturns in the whisky industry and the difficulties with transporting to an island made re-establishing a distillery hard. Due to the distilleries age, it does not have stores of historic casks, or many older expressions, however it more than makes up for this in its hugely varied cask and strength iterations. Extremely popular for its salty, smooth and fresh style, any bottle of Arran is like a walk on the beach.

 

Arrans Barrel Reserve is quite a unique bottling - matured exclusively in first fill bourbon barrels. Intensely sweet due to the first fill, the thicker spirit takes on vanilla, caramel and classic Bourbon notes magnificently!

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Delivery Information

Robert Graham uses reputable courier services and we ship worldwide. Within the UK we aim to deliver within 2 working days. International delivery times vary depending on destination. After your purchase has been processed, you will receive an email notification with your delivery tracking number.

The shipping costs vary and depend on the weight of your parcel. Use our calculator to estimate the shipping cost for your purchase.

We strongly recommend taking on transport insurance for your purchase. You will have an option to do so at the check-out.

Note: Regrettably we cannot ship cigars or any other tobacco products to the USA and Canada.

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