Arran Quarter Cask The Bothy

Arran’s popular quarter-cask finished Single Malt is now a welcome and tasty part of the core range.

Harold Currie was a senior director of Chivas. He somehow got it in his head that he could do Whisky better. Harold was also a fan of the Isle of Arran — an island in the middle of the Firth of Clyde which had at one time been home to at least fifty illegal distilleries. So he saved his pennies, took on a few investors, and broke ground on his dream in 1994. But two golden eagles built a nest on site and construction had to be stopped until the chicks were fully fledged. Solid move, right? Today, they produce a tidy range of Single Malt offerings, limited editions, special blends, and a Scottish cream Liqueur.

Turns out good old Harold COULD do it better.

For years Arran’s “The Bothy” Single Malt has been available only as a series of special limited editions. But it has been so popular that it has been promoted to become part of the core range.

Back when the Isle of Arran was a bootlegger’s paradise, the Whisky was smuggled back to shore in small, quarter-sized casks. This was for purely practical purposes because the small rowboats would tip over with bigger barrels. Smaller casks are more expensive by volume, but deliver more flavor quicker. The Arran Quarter Cask The Bothy is a fine Single Malt aged a full seven years in ex-Bourbon casks, followed by two years of finishing in new, quarter-casks and bottled at 56.2% ABV with no colorings and no chill-filtration.

Smartass Corner:
A “bothy” is a local slang expression that refers to a small hut or home. The small quarter-casks used by smugglers picked up the nickname.