Arran Sherry – Single Cask 9 Years Old 1998

Cask 84 sits in the very early numbered casks of the 1998 production year, placing this Oloroso cask among the first fillings of that year's production calendar. The high 578 bottle outturn at nine years strongly suggests a butt format Oloroso seasoned cask of approximately 500 litre capacity rather than the hogshead format that lower outturn casks indicate. Bottled in 2007 for the Netherlands market through the Sherry Single Cask series.

Spirit was distilled at Lochranza in early 1998 and matured nine years in a single Oloroso seasoned butt. Bottled in 2007 at 56% without chill filtration and without added colour, with the high 578 bottle outturn reflecting the larger butt format and the relatively early bottling point.

Nine years of Oloroso butt maturation produces early phase sherry compound integration, with the larger cask volume slowing the surface area driven extraction rate compared to hogsheads. The 56% natural cask strength reflects relatively limited evaporative concentration over the nine year period, consistent with the butt format. The cask supplies the initial layer of sotolon, furfural and polyphenol extraction over the still very visible underlying Arran spirit signature.