Arran 2017

Traditional, unpeated malt from Arran, showcasing the quality of the local barley. This spirit is coming close to its second birthday, having been distilled in September 2017. It contains approximately 284 bottles at cask strength 61.70%.

Auction has ended. The winning bidder has been notified.
Important Note: This cask has not matured 3 years so cannot yet be sold as whisky. As such, the cask is being sold as “new make spirit”. If allowed to mature until September 2020 the cask will be able to be sold as whisky.

Cask Details

DistilleryArran
RegionIslands
Age2 years
Distillation DateSeptember 17, 2017
Cask TypeUnpeated, First Fill Bourbon Barrel
Peated?No
Original Litre of Alcohol (OLA)123.9 litres
Re-gauge ABV61.70%
Original Bulk Litres199 litres
Re-gauge DateN/A
Bottles284
Cask Number17/2505

Tasting Notes

Nose – Orange blossom, peanut brittle and green malt.

Palate – Walnut banana muffin, milky porridge with brown sugar.

Nose with water – Pear drops, marzipan, tattie scone.

Palate with water – Dried apple and plantain chips.

The nose is a confusion of malty notes and floral perfumes, with wafts of a sweet nuttiness. These aromas are still skittish, not having settled down with each other yet. On the palate, this spirit still tastes new, but is not overly aggressive. Instead, it’s comforting, like a warm bowl of oats and milk dusted with dark sugar.

With water, the nose is classic pear-drop whisky esters, and a denser note like a floury potato scone. The palate after water is short, and the sweetness is subtle and without acidity, like dried apple instead of fresh, or plantain instead of banana.

About The Distillery

Once an island of small scale, illicit production, Arran’s agriculture was able to support around 50 stills of questionable legality at its southern half. Known as ‘Scotland in miniature’, Arran has highlands, but also fertile plains where barley can grow well – a microcosm of Scotland on one island. Arran distillers have partnered with the Agronomy Institute of Orkney to develop a modern version of traditional bere barley, something that will grow well on Scotland’s islands and establish a local fertility that will feed the whiskies of the future.

We have a pair of casks from this distillery, both distilled in the second half 2017 and thus full of 1 year old new spirit. One contains peated spirit, the other unpeated (actually, the unpeated cask will celebrate its second birthday during the auction period!). They will both have become whisky by the end of 2020, but we see these casks now as an opportunity to get involved with a whisky when its new and fresh, something to nurture for many years before finally presenting it to the world with a flourish, once it has passed adolescence and found its true nature.

They may have grown up in an almost identical environment, but these siblings casks have wildly different personalities, originating from the nature of the barley at their core.

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Auction Details

  • Bidding will end on October 11th at 11:00pm GMT subject to continuation defined below.
  • If a bid is received within the last 2 minutes of bidding, the auction will be extended for an additional 2 minutes. The auction will officially close when a period of 2 minutes has passed without a new bid.
  • All bids represent a legally binding contract to purchase the designated item.
  • The highest bidder at conclusion of the auction will immediately be charged a £500 deposit by credit card; the remaining balance will be due within 72 hours of auction close by bank wire transfer.
  • Failure to send proof of payment within 72 hours will result in a penalty of 1% of the hammer price for each day the payment is delinquent.
  • Upon verification that all funds due have been received, ownership of the cask will be transferred to the buyer and the buyer will be sent a title certificate. As per Scottish regulations, the cask must remain in a government bonded warehouse until bottling.
  • No samples will be provided during the auction. At the conclusion of the auction a complimentary sample will be sent to the winning bidder.
  • If two bidders place a bid in the same amount, the first bid placed will be the winner.
  • Storage will be included for a period of 2 years from the conclusion of the auction. All other costs related to storage, removal from storage, insurance, transportation, bottling and duties/taxes will be the sole responsibility of the buyer.
  • A reserve price has been set for the auction. If the reserve price is not reached then the seller, in their sole discretion, can choose whether to accept the high bid or may offer a counter offer. All bids placed by buyers are binding, even when the reserve price has not been met, until the seller declines the highest bid.
  • A 10% buyers premium will be added to the highest prevailing bid. No buyers premium will be due if the reserve price is not met and the seller choses not to accept the high bid.