After a Blended Malt start to this series of Cask Strength reviews, today I am looking at one of the whiskies which often gets mentioned as an easy and affordable gateway to Cask Strength single malts. For this second episode of “Full ABV Ahead”, I will review the Arran Quarter cask “The Bothy”.
I have a soft spot for Arran. Their 10-year-old is a classic everyday and beginner dram, and it remains a firm favourite to share with casual whisky-drinking friends in my home. I love some of their cask finish editions, especially the Amarone. And when I visited the distillery last summer, I discovered some of the great special releases they produce. So, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I might have a bit of a positive bias. But besides my liking for Arran, something else tickles my curiosity.
TL:DR: Fun, fruity and sweet. A great intro to Cask Strength, so close to being fantastic… if only the palate would live up to the nose
Score*: 6.5, Good stuff… just a hair away from being very good
When I started getting a bit more serious about single malts in the early 2000s, Glenfarclas 105 was THE Cask Strength whisky everyone was talking about as the best entry-level Cask Strength out there. Arguably, that spot has been taken up by Arran’s The Bothy. In part due to Glenfarclas infamous batch variability but also due to the emergence of new distilleries like Arran. It will be interesting to see which whisky will hold this spot in 5 to 10 years, with the vast number of new distilleries joining the market.
The history of “The Bothy” history
Arran’s Quarter Cask originally appeared as a limited distillery release in 2014, based on what I could find online. In 2015, it made it to the standard lineup from Lochranza Distillery under the moniker “The Bothy”, as it was originally called. The original batches, pre-2019 and pre-rebranding, varied in ABV batch by batch. After the 2019 brand revamp, “The Bothy” disappeared from the bottle label but remains on the packaging tube, which causes some confusion from time to time. I just wished Arran would explain where that name comes from. Maybe it’s an internal joke we are not meant to be privy to.
Another change after 2019 was the standardisation of the ABV to 56.2%. Understandable in the context of Arran trying to get a broader foothold in the occasional drinker space, but it’s a bit of a loss in my eyes. Cask Strength whiskies, more than standard 40-46% ABV ones, should reflect the changing nature of the liquid as different casks are assembled and the batch variation which comes with it.
Why Quarter Casks?
Arran does not provide any detail on the age of the liquid in The Bothy. I found a few sources online, mostly relating to the old branding of this whisky, stating that the spirit is initially aged in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks for seven years and then finished in American Oak Quarter Casks. I am not certain if the time of ageing is still what it originally was, but the cask use has remained unchanged. The Quarter casks are smaller 125-litre casks. The idea is that these allow more interaction between wood and spirit, accelerating maturation and achieving depth of flavour. Arran is not alone in using this strategy; Laphroaig and Benriach have each a similar regular release, and other distilleries have released Quarter Cask special editions from time to time.
Time to delve into the actual review of the Arran Quarter Cask “The bothy” to see if the theory matches the result. And most of all, to check if we have another Arran winner.
Arran Quarter Cask “The Bothy”
Specs
Price paid: €47.08
Bottled date: 3/8/2022
ABV: 56.2%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Casks Used: initially matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels before finishing into American Oak Quarter casks.
Tasting Notes
Colour: The golden colour of a ripe wheat field… I am feeling poetic tonight
Nose: Lovely nose, rich, sweet but balanced by a nice citrusy note. Some of the notes do bring to mind some teen ex-Bourbon malts, so maybe those Quarter Casks are working. Some buttery pasty, vanilla, baked apples, and a bunch of tropical fruit (mostly pineapple with a hint of mango). A burst of fresh lime and mandarin candy. Then, some lovely unsalted pistachio notes, then a bit of spice in the form of white pepper and ginger. There is a slight chemical/woody note – like beeswax wood polish hit, and even a hint of rosewater. The nose is getting me quite excited… let’s hope the palate and finish live up to it.
Taste and finish: Quite intense and mouth-coating. The cask strength abv brings some spicy heat, as expected, but not excessively. There are some noticeable malt notes, light caramel, tropical fruit (pineapple mainly) and candied lemon peel. There is still some ginger and cinnamon spice.It is a juicy dram but compared to the nose it is veering into sweetness a bit too much for me, it lacks a burst of freshness to make the palate as bright as the nose
The finish is medium in length. The tropical notes are dominant pineapple, still sweet but better balanced by some lime peel and ginger.
Score*: 6.5, Good stuff… just a hair away from being very good
At the end of this review of the Arran Quarter Cask “The Bothy” my feelings are a little in conflict among themselves. Let’s start with the more objective part. Is the Arran Quarter Cask a great entry-level Cask Strength dram? Absolutely. If you love ex-Bourbon cask-aged malts, this is a great choice as an everyday sipper, as much as any cask strength whisky can be an everyday sipper. Does the Quarter Cask ageing deliver? Without a doubt. At times I would have though I was drinking at least a 14-year-old whisky, especially on the nose.
Then we get to my personal frustration: nose vs palate. The nose on this is lovely, complex and with a clear, fresh vein of aromas balancing out the generally sweet character. But once I get to the palate, the sweetness takes over, making the drinking experience a little flat. Not that it’s bad in any way, but so close to being great is frustrating. If there was more balance of sweet and sour/spicy on the palate, this would easily jump to an 8.
Before I finish, just a little extra note. Out of geeky curiosity, I tasted the diluted Quarter Cask side by side with the Arran 10. I was surprised by how different they are. The 10 is significantly more malt-forward, feels a tad younger (even if it is likely older), and, in its straightforward nature, comes across as more balanced. The Quarter Cask, even diluted, packs more of a punch, is more complex from an aromatic sanpoint but also less balanced and sweeter.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of Arran Quarter Cask “The Bothy” I enjoyed:
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