Arran Barrel Reserve
This is my first experience with the Arran distillery. Although it opened in 1995, it is relatively young by Scottish standards but is now well established as the Isle of Arran’s first distillery for well over a century. The distillery was built from scratch in the village of Lochranza in the north of the island to make use of the rainwater which pools at Loch na Davie. It is claimed that this is the ‘purest water in all of Scotland’, and this purity allows the distillery to make whisky that needs no artificial colouring and no chill-filtration. It all sounds great to me, so let’s taste the dram!
Bottle
This bottle is a modern twist on my favourite style - short and sturdy! The slight tapering of the bottle gives it elegance, and the neck is shorter than most, with a wide opening giving it a distinctive look. The label is modern and classy, with a clever use of a serif font that is really uncommon on whisky bottles. I especially love the debossed logo in the shape of the Isle of Arran; it includes two eagles (a nod to the story of how the distillery construction had to be paused due to nesting eagles) and a still - the copper inlay is beautiful and seems to catch the light at any angle. And finally, the obligatory but often overlooked embossing on the shoulder is discrete yet stylish.
Colour
Thanks to the fact that there is no artificial colour added to this dram, it is seen in its natural, pale state. It’s probably the palest whisky I’ve come across and sits somewhere between white wine and pale straw on the colour chart. It’s great to see whisky at the extreme ends of the scale in its natural hue.
Nose - A lovely delicate, fresh aroma to this dram. It is led by a strong mixture of lemon and sour apples, but there is an undertone of malt that knits it together neatly.
Palate - Similar to the colour, this is quite a light tasting whisky with a little kick of sharpness. The sour green apple is strong here too and the citrus fruits also keep it light. There is a pleasant vanilla sweetness but overall, there isn’t a lot of depth to it.
Finish - a relatively short finish. The malt and vanilla are more apparent as the dram fades with just a hint of oak.
Overall
I love the way that the Arran distillery presents itself, and I love this bottle which really stands out among the sea of single malts available on the market today. It is so refreshing to see a whisky in this natural, pale form too. Everything about it makes me want to love the spirit but it is just a little one dimensional. I managed to pick up my bottle for around £30 and if you can get it at this price I think it is a really nice alternative to many of the whiskies available around that price point, especially as it looks so good! But at nearly £40 I think I would probably give it a miss. It does, however, make me even more excited to explore more of the Arran range!
Available from The Whisky Exchange for around £39