Arran Sherry Cask

The Bodega entered the Arran core range in autumn 2019 as the cask strength sherry counterpart to The Bothy quarter cask expression. The release represents an intentional reconnection to the early Arran releases of the late 1990s and early 2000s, when limited supplies of mature spirit drove the use of varied sherry casks for cask finishing and short maturation experiments. The current Bodega applies modern cask sourcing discipline to that early stylistic thread.

Maturation runs approximately seven years in first fill oloroso seasoned American oak hogsheads, sourced through direct working relationships with sherry producers in Jerez. American oak rather than European is selected to keep the cask intensity in proportion with the lighter Lochranza new make. Bottling at the natural cask strength of 55.8% with no chill filtration and no added colouring.

The first fill oloroso seasoning delivers a heavy layer of oxidised sherry compounds including sotolon, furfural and the polyphenol fraction extracted from the sherry production wood. American oak as the substrate contributes its own vanillin and whisky lactone profile, producing a sherry cask whisky structured rather than collapsed into raisin. The combined result tracks dried fruit, dark chocolate and oxidised wood, with the Arran citric fresh fruit signature still visible underneath. Flavour profile: dried fruit, chocolate, sherried, cooked fruit, old wood, vanilla.