Arran Moscatel Finish

Moscatel cask finishes appear periodically in the Arran range as part of the wider wine cask exploration the distillery has pursued since its earliest years. Moscatel is a fortified dessert wine produced primarily in Andalusia, the Setubal peninsula of Portugal, and a handful of other Iberian and Mediterranean regions, made from Muscat grape varieties known for their highly aromatic and grape forward character. The casks Arran has used have typically held the Spanish style oxidatively aged Moscatel, similar in oxidative profile to oloroso sherry but driven by Muscat aromatics rather than Palomino.

Primary maturation runs in first fill ex Bourbon American oak barrels at Lochranza, with secondary transfer into ex Moscatel casks of varying provenance. Bottled at 55% without chill filtration and without added colour.

Moscatel cask seasoning leaves a particular residue in the oak: high concentrations of terpenes including linalool, geraniol and citronellol that drive the Muscat aromatic, alongside the oxidative compounds developed during the long maturation under oloroso style conditions. The resulting whisky carries a distinctive floral grape and orange blossom layer over the Bourbon vanilla underlay, with a softer drying finish than full sherry cask matured expressions.