Bottled at 43%, the Barrel Reserve emphasizes the delicious, sweet fruit notes which are the hallmark of our distillery. A fantastic discovery! The Barrel Reserve is a fresh, light and elegant no-age-statement Single Malt Single Barrel Scotch Whisky. It is 100% matured in Bourbon Barrels and is going to become your go-to dram for every occasion.
86 Proof (ABV 43%)
The Approach
Our home village of Lochranza really is the perfect location for producing the perfect Single Malt. It's all about the water.
The area is home to the purest water in all of Scotland – every drop of Arran Single Malt starts its life as rainwater which pools at Loch na Davie in the beautiful hills behind the distillery. The clear water cascades down the hillside, through six unassuming waterfalls, each one purifying the water further. The name of the burn, Easan Biorach, means 'Sharp Waterfalls' in Gaelic. The purity of our water means that we can create a clean, sweet dram which is entirely natural and unadulterated. We never add caramel or strip flavour out using chill filtration. We usually serve our whiskies at 46% ABV, which means that it stands up well to dilution and adding a little splash of water.
Loch Na Davie 2019
Arran enjoys a warm microclimate – the atmosphere of sea breezes and clear mountain air, together with the warm flow of the Gulf Stream is ideal for the speedy maturation of single malts. The island has a reputation for producing the highest quality whisky.
Making Arran whisky
We make whisky the old way. It’s not the easiest or the cheapest way, but it’s the best.
Our whisky has only a few ingredients - we use concerto barley and water from Loch na Davie, the purest in Scotland. The malted barley is mixed with this water in the mash tun to make wort, which goes into wooden washbacks, where yeast is added to begin fermentation. At the end of this process we have a liquid - called wash - that’s about as strong as very strong beer.
Mash tun
The wash is double-distilled in copper pot stills. The first distillation produces a liquid that’s about 23% alcohol, and the second raises this to an average strength of 68%. This colourless liquid is matured in oak casks which have held wines and spirits like sherry and bourbon. The wood gives colour and character, and the choice of cask is probably the most important influence on the character of the end whisky.
Once it reaches the desired age, we bottle most of our single malts at 46% abv or at cask-strength. We never add anything artificial - so all the colour in our whisky comes from the wood of the cask.
Whisky barrels
To chill or not to chill - why we treat our whisky gently
Most whisky is chill-filtered to remove a range of substances - including proteins and esters - which are produced in the distillation and maturation process. The reason is largely to do with appearance, as these substances can make the spirit turn a little cloudy when you add water or ice. However we believe the process destroys some of the subtle nuances of aroma and flavour that add to the character of the end whisky, so we never chill-filter our malts when they are bottled above 43% Vol.
James MacTaggart
James safeguards and protects the outstanding quality of our Single Malt. Not much gets past the watchful eye of James as he carefully monitors each and every cask we produce.
Stillmen
Stuart Gast, Gordon Bloy, John McMullen, Ryan Wilson, Mhairi Hartley, John Dowens
Our Stillmen work tirelessly to make sure that every step of the whisky making process goes smoothly and that there is no compromise on the excellent quality spirit that we produce. With great humour and dedication, these guys are at the heart of our operations in Lochranza. Mhairi, our Distillery Admin Assistant, keeps them all in line!
Nose
Delicate apples and pears
Palate
Beautifully balanced citrus fruit and light vanilla sweetness with a burst of apple and delicate marine notes.
Finish
Sweetness, Spice, Charred Oak, Citrus, Vanilla.
Bananarran Single Malt Cocktail
Summer
Its beautiful cloudy yellow colour alone will make you long for warm sunny days! A creamy and sweet mix, like drinking distilled old sweets.
Bananarran %286%29 cocktail rebrand
Ingredients
60 ml Arran Barrel Reserve
20 ml Galliano
10 Orgeat Almond Syrup
1 barspoon Fernet Branca
Method
1Add all ingredients to shaker.
2Hard shake over ice.
3Serve straight up in a prechilled glass.
4Serve with dark chocolate on the side.
*SHIPPING NOTICE- If possible, please use a business address for shipping. All shipments require an adult signature which is much more reliable at a place of business.
All orders usually ship within 24-48 hours unless noted otherwise