Arran Limited Edition – Single Cask Malt 6 Years Old 1995

This six year old release captures spirit distilled in the very first year of legal post 1837 production at Lochranza. The distillery began distillation on 29 June 1995 under the direction of Gordon Mitchell, with the first casks filled in the days that followed. Single cask releases from this 1995 vintage are historically significant as direct evidence of the new make character Lochranza produced in its first year of operation. The Limited Edition Single Cask Malt format presents the cask unblended and unfiltered, preserving the specific character of one parcel of inaugural year spirit.

Spirit matured at Lochranza in single cask 95/153, with the cask wood determined by the original 1995 fill. The distillery's early casks were a mix of ex Bourbon American oak and sherry casks, with some experimental wine wood. Bottled in 2002 at 58.2% representing the natural cask strength of this six year cask, with the 242 bottle outturn covering the working volume of the single cask without chill filtration and without added colour.

At six years old the spirit retained substantial new make character, with the cask supplying a foundation layer rather than the deep extraction of older maturations. The Arran 1995 new make is documented as fresh, fruit forward and ester rich, with citric, pear and stone fruit notes derived from long fermentation and high reflux distillation. The single cask format preserves this profile at the specific intensity the cask delivered.