Arran Machrie Moor Cask Strength - Single Malt Whisky, 70cl

The island known as ‘Scotland in Miniature’ has 2 sister distilleries, Lochranza in the north which produces the Arran unpeated Single Malt Whisky, and Lagg in the south which produces heavily peated Lagg Single Malt Whisky.

Arran is a 20 by 10 mile island in the Firth of Clyde, nestled between the Ayrshire coast and the Mull of Kintyre. It boasts characteristics of the Highlands, the Lowlands and the Western Isles so is in a unique position to create drams that reflect many regional influences. The landscape of Arran very much shapes the drams: the rugged mountains, the coastal farmlands, the pure Scottish water and the crisp seaside air.

The first spirit ran through the Lochranza Distillery in the afternoon of 29th June 1995. In July 1998, the first cask of Arran Single Malt Whisky was opened - the first legal dram on Arran for over 160 years. The first 10 year old was released in the Spring of 2006 and remains at the centre of the Arran range. In December 2010, the first peated Arran expression was released - Machrie Moor which was the start of journey towards the heavily-peated Lagg Distillery. The southern Lagg Distillery began production in the Spring of 2019 after being closed since 1840. For centuries, illegal Arran drams, known as 'Arran Waters’, were smuggled to the mainland from Lagg.

This peated Arran Single Malt has all the fresh notes of the classic Arran style but with an earthy peat smokiness. Since 2019, all peated production of Arran whisky is done at the Lagg distillery so Machrie Moor is a dram with a limited lifespan.

A mystical peat bog named Machrie Moor lies on Arran's windswept west coast. On this barren landscape, stands a Bronze Age stone circle known as 'Fingal’s Cauldron Seat'. According to local legend, the warrior giant Fingal tethered his dog Bran to these stones. Bran features on the label and tin of Machrie Moor. 

Nose: Citrus notes with a background of peat and a puff of smoke immediately apparent.

Palate: A robust dram with the typical orchard fruits of Arran coming to the fore over a layer of toasted brioche and red berries.