The isle of Arran has witnessed a long tradition of distilling, as well as a bitter struggle with the excise men. The legend goes that several hoards of whisky have been buried in the island from the time the local illicit distillers tried to escape the Excise men. This might be local folklore stories but the gravestones of men killed in this struggles certainly are not.
In addition to the many illicit stills on the island, three licensed distilleries existed, the last of them closing in 1835. But after almost two centuries the local whisky industry has been reborn at Lochranza, with the opening of Arran Distillery in 1935 The Arran Whisky is dry and light, with hints of vanilla and fruit, a golden nectar , which is actually unpeated, atypically for an island whisky.
The Arran 14 year opens with dried fruits, vanilla and toffee up front. With a little water a salty tang appears, with caramelised fruits indicating a depth of flavour to come. Sweetness, spice, bitter orange, charred oak, honey apple and pears on the palate, for a rich and complex whisky.
The nose gives some beautifully perfumed fruity notes with hints of melon and grapefruit. The palate is round and sweet, building to release waves of succulent fruit. There is a wonderfully teasing balance and complexity to this dram.
