Two single malts from Arran matured on refill bourbon
We gathered samples coming from distilleries on the Isle of Arran. With the arrival of Lagg Distillery a few years ago, the number of sites doubled to two, with the Lochranza Distillery already producing for 30 years. While Lagg is still in its infancy, the bottlings that come out under the name Arran have impressive age statements on the label. We even saw a picture of a 30 years old Arran release going round on the interwebs! Today, we resort to more modest numbers, but hopefully equally impressive whisky!
Lagg 5 years old, bottled at 48,5 % abv by Thompson Brothers
First things first: Matured in a standard American barrel, first fill. Batch 3 of the Mystery Malts that contained 265 bottles. This will be my first independently bottled Lagg!
Upon Sipping: Classic, saline, maritime peat, with a good dose of lemons but also some vanilla softness. Easy to nose, very inviting. Seawater on a warm, gentle sunny day. Love it. The taste delivers on the promise of the nose, with a lot of peated vanilla. Very soft and mouthcoating, with a lot of brine and Dubai chocolate on the finish, where the peat signature turns nicely bitter. It is very straightforward and simple, maybe even a tad too much, but it can definitely function as a classic example of a maritime peater. On repeated sipping, the dry smokiness that develops on the palate is very nice, and the sweet touches from the vanilla are a good side-effect.
Word to the Wise: Lagg produces such a clean and light spirit, where the peat is really allowed to take centre stage. One-dimensional, for sure, but getting the job done.
Score: 82 points.
Arran 13 years old, vintage 2011, bottled at 55,1 % abv for Whiskybase
First things first: Also a refill ex-bourbon barrel with cask reference # 2011/2278. This one was distilled on the first of December 2011, and bottled on 3 July 2025. Some 177 bottles came out for Whiskybase in the Private Cask series.
Upon Sipping: I warmed up with peat, but I felt confident the Arran would perform after the Lagg tasted above. The nose is quite different from that, this one opening on warm apple pie and hints of something metallic, or copper coins perhaps. Pumpernickel bread, apricot pieces hidden inside it. Rich, with a touch of wood smoke. Oily mouthfeel at the start, before some tropical fruits emerge, and sticky toffee pudding. The finish is fuelled with those copper coins again, making me think of the best Benrinnes samples I have tried. So weird to find this in an Arran, but I like it. It elevates itself above the average bourbon cask matured spirits. With water, you could easily confuse this with a Calvados, with that slight metallic hint and apple skin composting on a pile in your garden waste bin. The taste became sweeter, indeed on apples, but a mix of very red and very green one, in one bowl. You switch from sour and copper tones to sweet and fruity, strawberry even. The mouthfeel remains fat, thick on the tongue, making for a syrupy exit, not unlike the Vermont maple syrup I poured on my American pancakes a few weeks ago. Delicious!
Word to the Wise: Now this is complex and entertaining, a very good pick by Whiskybase. It is almost as if the spirit was frantically looking for companionship with the cask, but when the wood did not deliver, it started putting on all kinds of make-up by itself, creating something grotesquely fun! This is one Arran to study.
Score: 87 points.