Arran Single Cask – 2014 Autumn Release 16 Years Old 1998

Cask 130 sits within the early numbered casks of the 1998 production year, identifying it as one of the earlier fillings of the year. Despite the different cask numbers (130 vs 612), both casks were matured under identical Oloroso seasoned hogshead conditions and released together as part of the 2014 Autumn Single Cask programme. The 279 bottle outturn from cask 130 sits slightly higher than the 246 bottle outturn from cask 612, reflecting the natural variation in evaporation and fill levels between sister casks.

Spirit was distilled at Lochranza in 1998 and matured sixteen years in single Oloroso hogshead 130. Bottled in 2014 at the natural cask strength of 52% without chill filtration and without added colour.

Sixteen years in a Oloroso seasoned hogshead produces concentrated cask extraction, with the smaller cask volume driving faster wood compound transfer compared to butt format casks of equivalent age. The integrated profile delivers the deep sherry register of long aged Oloroso wood: sotolon, furfural, syringaldehyde and the oxidised polyphenol fraction layered against the underlying Arran citric and stone fruit signature from the 1998 distillation year.