ArranQuarterCaskTheBothyBatch3(700mL)

<p>A delicate, bright, and tangy Arran Single Malt aged in ex-Bourbon and finished in quarter casks. </p><p><em>Harold Currie</em> was a senior director 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 <em>broke ground on his dream</em> in <em>1994</em>. But two golden eagles built a nest on site and construction had to be stopped until the chicks were fully fledged. <em>Solid move, right?</em> Today, they produce a tidy range of Single Malt offerings,<em> limited editions</em>, special blends, and a Scottish cream Liqueur. Turns out good old Harold <em>COULD do it better</em>.</p><p>Back when the Isle of Arran was a<em> bootlegger’s paradise</em>, the Whisky was smuggled back to shore in small, quarter-sized casks. This was for purely<em> practical purposes </em>because the small rowboats would tip over with bigger barrels. Smaller casks are more expensive by volume, but deliver more flavor quicker so the trade-off was worth it.</p><p>The Arran Distillery started a series of <em>special limited releases</em> called <em>“The Bothy”</em> to carry on the tradition.<em> The Arran Quarter Cask Batch #3</em> is a fine “Bothy” Single Malt that has been aged a full seven years in <em>ex-Bourbon casks</em>, followed by eighteen months of finishing in new, quarter-casks. And a tasty tradition it is too at 53.2% ABV with no colorings and no chill-filtration.</p><p><u>Smartass corner: </u><em>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.</em></p>