An island full of wild ripe berries, sea air and a trace of Burgundy. It's not an obvious combination — but Arran isn't an obvious distillery either.
A vintage bottling from 1999, finished in Pinot Noir wine casks and bottled exclusively for the Danish trade market.
Expert Description
Arran 12 Year Old 1999 Vintage Pinot Noir Wine Cask is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in Pinot Noir wine casks, bottled at 46%.
The Isle of Arran sits in the Firth of Clyde west of Glasgow and is often described as Scotland in miniature. The Lochranza distillery opened in 1995 and is the island's only one, after British excise authorities shut down the last legal distillation in the 1800s. This 1999 Vintage was distilled in 1999 and bottled in 2011 after 12 years in cask, made exclusively for the professional Danish whisky trade. The whisky began its life in ex-bourbon casks, Arran's primary maturation wood, before receiving a finish in Pinot Noir wine casks — a grape with light tannins, red berry notes and a lightly earthy edge that leaves a clear mark without taking over from the whisky.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Ripe red berries, macerated cherry and a touch of grape juice, followed by spices such as star anise, cinnamon and white pepper, with a clear and pleasant malted sweetness and a trace of salted island character.
Palate
Silky and lightly oily with clear fruitiness — grape, red berries, fermented apple and a peppery edge, tied together by caramel sweetness and vanilla.
Finish
Medium to long, spiced, with dryness from the wine cask and a warm island character that slowly fades.
Specifications
Name: Arran 12 Year Old 1999 Vintage Pinot Noir Wine Cask
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon, finished in Pinot Noir wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1999
Bottled: 2011
Edition: Vintage 1999 – exclusive to the professional Danish market
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass at room temperature
Flavour Profile
Wine-toned · Fruity · Spiced · Salted
Did You Know?
The Isle of Arran went without a single legal distillery for more than 150 years — the first Excise-registered still, the Lochranza distillery, only opened in 1995, and the first official single malt from it was bottled in 1998.
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