Arran – Quarter Cask The Bothy (56.2%)

This is an Arran single malt from the Quarter Cask range, known as The Bothy, bottled at a cask strength of 56.2%. The whisky spent about eight years in first-fill bourbon casks before moving into quarter casks for roughly eighteen months. The smaller casks bring more contact between spirit and wood, so the second maturation is faster and more intense. It is bottled without chill-filtration or added colour. It is described as full-bodied and oily, with plenty of vanilla sweetness and spicy notes, including a good deal of freshly ground pepper.