Arran Private Cask 6 Years Old 2011

Casks 2011/1835 and 2011/1847 were both filled at Lochranza in the late 2011 production period and matured under identical warehouse conditions before being bottled in 2017 for different European markets. The small difference in bottling ABV between the two (52.1% vs 58.2%) reflects the natural variation in cask evaporation rates that produces meaningful character differences even between casks filled the same week from the same new make. This sister cask comparison provides documentary evidence of the variability inherent in single cask presentations.

Spirit was distilled at Lochranza in late 2011 and matured six years in single ex Bourbon American oak cask 2011/1847. Bottled in 2017 at the natural cask strength of 58.2% without chill filtration and without added colour, with the 255 bottle outturn reflecting the working yield of the single cask.

Six years of ex Bourbon maturation produces early phase cask integration, with the Arran spirit signature dominant and the cask supplying its initial vanillin and whisky lactone layer. The higher 58.2% strength of this cask compared to its sister suggests faster evaporative concentration during the six year maturation, possibly reflecting position within the warehouse, headspace volume or fill level variations between the two casks.