Arran-Lochranza
The Lochranza distillery is located on the Isle of Arran, after which it was initially named. In 2019, Lagg, the second distillery on the island, opened. As a result, Arran renamed itself Lochranza to better distinguish it. However, the Single Malt Whisky is still available under the Arran brand.
| Information about the Distillery | |
|---|---|
| Scotland, Islands | |
| -5.280175 55.699477 | |
| Active | |
| Arran Distillers | |
|
1 x 7,100 l
Hoch
|
|
|
1 x 4,300 l
Hoch
|
|
| 1995 | |
| 1,200,000 l | |
| http://www.arranwhisky.com/ |
| Average tasting notes Tasting notes |
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|---|---|---|
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Nosing
Fruit:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Fruit:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Zitrus:
Spices:
Zitrus:
Sherry:
Oak:
Spices:
Oak:
Peat Smoke:
Malt:
Sherry:
Caramel:
Honey:
Pear:
Caramel:
Malt:
Honey:
Herbs:
Pear:
Tropical Fruit:
Herbs:
Tropical Fruit:
Nuts:
Peat Smoke:
Chocolate:
Apple:
Pineapple:
Chocolate:
Cherry:
Pineapple:
Apple:
Cherry:
Herb:
Alcohol:
Herb:
Cinnamon:
Alcohol:
Dried Fruit:
Lemon:
Lemon:
Cinnamon:
Grape:
Berries:
Peach:
Grape:
Raisin:
Dried Fruit:
Peach:
Melon:
Almonds:
Melon:
Dark Chocolate:
Orange:
Almonds:
Hay:
Hay:
Dark Chocolate:
Nuts:
Berries:
Floral:
Heather:
Orange:
Maritime Notes:
Floral:
Maritime Notes:
Heather:
Raisin:
Banana:
Seaweed:
Seaweed:
Banana:
Grapefruit:
Coconut:
Fig:
Barley:
Barley:
Green Apple:
Plum:
Mint:
Green Apple:
Grapefruit:
Ginger:
Coconut:
Mint:
Plum:
Grass:
Grass:
Strawberry:
Ginger:
Cake:
Oil:
Strawberry:
Pepper:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Cake:
Lime:
Fig:
Chili:
Bonfire Smoke:
Oil:
Blackberry:
Date:
Wheat:
Nutmeg:
Bonfire Smoke:
Lime:
Wheat:
Nutmeg:
Chili:
Blackberry:
Pepper:
Hazelnut:
Hazelnut:
Clove:
Lemon Peel:
Lemon Peel:
Date:
Salt:
Salt:
Clove:
Kiwi:
Kiwi:
Medicinal Smoke:
Tobacco:
Medicinal Smoke:
Anis:
Tobacco:
Leather:
Black Currant:
Ham:
Ham:
Leather:
Black Currant:
Red Currant:
Red Currant:
Walnut:
Walnut:
Iodine:
Iodine:
Tasting
Sweet:
Fruit:
Sweet:
Spices:
Fruit:
Oak:
Oak:
Zitrus:
Spices:
Zitrus:
Sherry:
Vanilla:
Nuts:
Vanilla:
Malt:
Malt:
Honey:
Sherry:
Honey:
Chocolate:
Peat Smoke:
Caramel:
Caramel:
Chocolate:
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon:
Herb:
Oil:
Lemon:
Herb:
Oil:
Lemon:
Cherry:
Herbs:
Nuts:
Peat Smoke:
Dried Fruit:
Pepper:
Cherry:
Alcohol:
Apple:
Pineapple:
Ginger:
Pepper:
Herbs:
Berries:
Dark Chocolate:
Alcohol:
Apple:
Chili:
Tropical Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Pineapple:
Berries:
Pear:
Chili:
Tropical Fruit:
Grape:
Dark Chocolate:
Orange:
Ginger:
Pear:
Grape:
Maritime Notes:
Raisin:
Plum:
Maritime Notes:
Orange:
Almonds:
Raisin:
Plum:
Heather:
Peach:
Seaweed:
Hazelnut:
Hazelnut:
Heather:
Grapefruit:
Almonds:
Peach:
Fig:
Seaweed:
Floral:
Grapefruit:
Green Apple:
Floral:
Lemon Peel:
Banana:
Green Apple:
Nutmeg:
Lemon Peel:
Banana:
Melon:
Salt:
Melon:
Fig:
Lime:
Cake:
Salt:
Nutmeg:
Leather:
Coffee:
Lime:
Blackberry:
Cake:
Leather:
Barley:
Blackberry:
Coffee:
Barley:
Coconut:
Coconut:
Clove:
Strawberry:
Date:
Strawberry:
Bonfire Smoke:
Clove:
Date:
Bonfire Smoke:
Mint:
Tobacco:
Kiwi:
Mint:
Walnut:
Tobacco:
Walnut:
Kiwi:
Wheat:
Wheat:
Grass:
Grass:
Black Currant:
Black Currant:
Anis:
Hay:
Iodine:
Iodine:
Ham:
Ham:
Medicinal Smoke:
Medicinal Smoke:
Hay:
Red Currant:
Red Currant:
Rye:
Rye:
Finish
Sweet:
Oak:
Spices:
Sweet:
Oak:
Fruit:
Spices:
Fruit:
Sherry:
Nuts:
Malt:
Zitrus:
Malt:
Herb:
Zitrus:
Peat Smoke:
Vanilla:
Herb:
Vanilla:
Sherry:
Chocolate:
Oil:
Dark Chocolate:
Oil:
Peat Smoke:
Dark Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Nuts:
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon:
Pepper:
Herbs:
Alcohol:
Honey:
Pepper:
Alcohol:
Honey:
Herbs:
Chili:
Ginger:
Maritime Notes:
Caramel:
Maritime Notes:
Chili:
Ginger:
Caramel:
Heather:
Berries:
Heather:
Berries:
Seaweed:
Seaweed:
Tropical Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Grape:
Tropical Fruit:
Apple:
Grape:
Orange:
Dried Fruit:
Cherry:
Almonds:
Apple:
Cherry:
Almonds:
Pear:
Salt:
Tobacco:
Raisin:
Lemon:
Tobacco:
Pear:
Coffee:
Salt:
Hazelnut:
Orange:
Hazelnut:
Lemon:
Raisin:
Floral:
Floral:
Coffee:
Peach:
Nutmeg:
Coconut:
Barley:
Pineapple:
Grapefruit:
Barley:
Peach:
Wheat:
Wheat:
Clove:
Coconut:
Banana:
Leather:
Date:
Mint:
Grapefruit:
Fig:
Pineapple:
Leather:
Cake:
Lime:
Cake:
Mint:
Melon:
Banana:
Fig:
Melon:
Clove:
Date:
Nutmeg:
Lime:
Lemon Peel:
Green Apple:
Lemon Peel:
Green Apple:
Bonfire Smoke:
Kiwi:
Iodine:
Bonfire Smoke:
Plum:
Grass:
Iodine:
Kiwi:
Walnut:
Blackberry:
Plum:
Blackberry:
Grass:
Hay:
Walnut:
Medicinal Smoke:
Hay:
Red Currant:
Rye:
Ham:
Medicinal Smoke:
Strawberry:
Rye:
Red Currant:
Ham:
Strawberry:
Anis:
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The Whisky
Although Arran is a very young distillery, there are many bottlings. The core range includes the Arran 10 Years, the Arran Quarter Cask - The Bothy, and the Arran Sherry Cask - The Bodega. On the occasion of Lochranza's 25th anniversary, the Arran 25 Years was bottled.
In addition, there is a wide range of wine finishes including Sauternes, Amarone and Port. The peated variant of Arran, the former Machrie Moor, has been produced by Lagg under their name since 2019. In addition, Lochranza has also offered an Arran Cream Liqueur with 17% alcohol content since 2004.
The Production
The distillery draws the water for its Whisky from the small river Easan Biorach, which flows to the distillery from Loch na Davie. The mineral-poor water is naturally filtered through six waterfalls and can be used directly for Whisky production.
The Pot Stills
The distillery has four pot stills from Forsyth, which were renewed in 2017. The two wash stills are filled with about 7,500 litres each and the two spirit stills with about 4,300 litres each. In total, Lochranza can produce about one million litres of alcohol a year.
The pot stills are very wide and round at the bottom. They have no reflux bowls or constricting pieces at the bottom of the neck. But the neck of the pot still is pretty long to allow the alcohol fumes to separate well. In the condensers, the distillate is cooled down to 20°C to achieve good separation again. This is important for the fruity character Lochranza wants to achieve in their Whiskies.
The Malting
Lochranza uses Concerto barley, which enters the mash tun after malting with water from Loch na Davie. Although much of the distillery is already computerised, traditional methods are also used to monitor the mash. Here, the underback is still used to see if the mash has an appropriately dark colour and no chunks are produced, which is important for the desired clear wort.
The distillery buys the malt externally and, due to its short history, never owned its own malt floors. In the beginning, they even bought the malt in grist, before buying their own mill in 2000.
Lochranza has six wooden washbacks with a volume of 13,000 litres. The fermentation time is 75 hours with a clear word and fruity yeast, which together gives a very fruity aroma of apples, bananas and citrus fruits.
The Warehouse
The distillery's warehouses are full of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks to balance the flavour profile. In addition, there are lots of different Wine casks in the warehouse for the many different cask finishes.
The distillery has several types of warehouses. The former Arran Distillery started with Dunnage Warehouses with rammed floors and three layers of casks. Racked warehouses have been added, which are used for vatting and cask finishes as batches can be easily rolled in and out. There is also a special warehouse, originally for Wine barrels, where all barrels are stored so that they can be easily tasted. And in palletised warehouses, younger barrels are stored standing up for the time being.
History
Construction work on the distillery began in 1994 and it was officially opened in June 1995 by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor. Two years later, Queen Elizabeth II visited the distillery on the occasion of the opening of the visitor centre and purchased two casks for Princes William and Harry.
The Visitor Centre
There is a beautiful visitor centre where you can book various tours.
Distillery address:
The Arran Malt
Enterprise House
Springkerse Business Park
Stirling FK7 7UF
Tel: 01786-431900
Email: info@arranwhisky.com
User Notes about the Distillery
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