We are finally here! The first part of four Arran tastings from my recent purchase from Hard To Find Whiskey. I will let you in on a little secret, I’ve already sampled all four. How couldn’t I?! The package came in a Friday, I’m stuck in doors with my beautiful fiance during Covid19, and I have four clean Glencairn’s just asking to be used.
Arran Single Malt Quarter Cask
I couldn’t help myself but review the quarter cask first. While I am am easily seduced by a sherry cask , my mood was for something a bit more spicy… a bit more hot. 56.2% hot to be precise.
Don’t let my bed of lemons and limes fool you — or my laughable attempt to be ‘artsy’ — this bottle of scotch packs a punch. For those of you who are not familiar with the term “Quarter Cask”, it simply refers to the size/dimensions of the cask itself. A quarter size of a standard whiskey barrel, a quarter cask has far more wood-to-liquid ratio which accelerates the maturation process and results in a more ‘robust’ finished product.
The Breakdown
- Distillery | Lochranza
- Location | Scotland
- Age | 9 years minimum
- ABV | 56.2%
- Price | $59 USD
The Nose
If you’ve been around the American bourbon block, you will immediately recognize the nose of the Arran Quarter Cask. Familiar notes of vanilla, heavy cherry presence, and deep orange peel are the prevailing aromas.
When the dram was almost finished, I started noticing a significant leather/wood scent on the latter half of the nose. Overall, a beautiful combination of sweet and traditional bourbon flavors.
The Palate
An immediate sharp and biting flavor hits my tongue, again similar to that of a cask strength bourbon. This leads into candied oranges and a subtle leather/oak flavor near the end. Not to say that the palate is sweet — it is — but it’s a bitter contrast to the overly sweet nose from earlier creating a wonderful blend of flavors.
The Finish
Honey, wood spices, and orange peel. The finish is bitter sweet with a long but pleasant burn. Considering the last review was against a finish that was as fleeting as a mayfly, The Bothy’s finish was a delightful counter.
Final Notes
What can I say, this is a singularly beautiful scotch from Arran. They produce a wonderful contrast between the burn of the cask strength and the sweet notes of the vanilla, cherry, and oranges. Everything I want in a quarter cask.
At the same time, the balance isn’t completely there. This whiskey can appear to many as being far too sweet. Like many American bourbons, you can sometimes feel like you’re drinking straight candy. While I won’t say The Bothy is quite there yet, it’s close and the only reason I did not rate it slightly higher.
VERDICT: 82/100
Rating Scale
00-49 || Drain. Immediately.
50-59 || Cocktail mixers only
60-64 || “fine” -my fiance
65-69 || Mediocre to decent
70-74 || Decent
75-79 || Above average
80-84 || Great
85-89 || Excellent
90-95 || Magnificent
96-100 || Masterpiece
Modern Dram 
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