Arran – Quarter Cask The Bothy (70cl, 56.2%)

The Bothy is an Arran single malt bottled at a cask strength of 56.2% in a 70cl bottle. It is natural in colour and not chill-filtered. The whisky was first matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, then moved into smaller 125 litre Quarter casks of American oak. The smaller casks bring the whisky into closer contact with the wood, for a faster, more intense maturation. Arran notes that small casks were common on the island in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries because they were easier to handle and transport. It is described as full-bodied, with rich vanilla sweetness and bold peppery spice.