Arran Smugglers Series The Ilicit Stills

This item is archived.

The Arran Smugglers' Series Vol. 1 'The Illicit Stills' is the eagerly anticipated 1st bottling in a new trilogy highlighting the Isle of Arran's history as a center of illegal whisky making and smuggling. The whisky has a prominent peatiness, uncharacteristic of most Arran bottlings. The peated whisky was matured in Ex-Bourbon American Oak and the unpeated Arran matured full term in Port Pipes. Only 8,700 bottles were released World Wide, and in the time it has taken the release to make it to Canada, it has already sold out in the UK!  Bottled at 56.4%.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: juicy, floral and tropical with big toasty oak and a hint of smoke; layers open up with dark fruits, chocolate, leather and tobacco; melons, apricots and chocolate covered almonds.

Palate: more juicy fruits, crisp layered spices, clean elegant smoke and dark fruits; chocolate covered almonds, leather, tobacco and Dutch licorice; malty with marmalade, big candied ginger and cinnamon hearts; the port component adds a grapey chocolate character.

Finish: long coating, toasty and smoky; layered with loads of fruits.

Comment: this is not your typical Arran, at one point I thought this was like a peated version of the wonderful Millenium casks bottling from years ago. That does both a disservice. This is a great standalone whisky, but on further reflexion not quite the Millenium casks...

Distiller's Tasting Note:

Nose: Subtle peat reek rising from a distant fire hints at a robust character to come. Floral notes bring elegance, sweetness is shown in the form of fresh madeira cake with a maritime oiliness promising rich mouthfeel.

Palate: Juicy plums, spiced with white pepper. Wood smoke of freshly sawn pine. The palate develops with gripping tannin as white grapes begin to show. Pink wafer biscuits and a blast of spicy ginger appear before the finish.

Finish: The flavour of dried apricots fades before salty, maritime notes take over – the dying embers of smugglers’ signal fires on windswept beaches. An Arran dram of true unbridled character, reminiscent of the illicit makes which gave rise to the illustrious reputation of “the Arran water”.

 

700 ml