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アラン10年を筆頭に人気のウイスキー。品薄も話題で定価や限定品とは

The most popular whiskey is the Arran 10 Year Old. There is a lot of talk about shortages, and what are the fixed prices and limited editions?

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Arran, known as a pioneer of Scottish craft whiskey, has gained huge popularity in recent years, with its "Arran 10 Year Old" at the forefront. It is a brand that is currently in the process of growth, and there are high expectations for its future growth.
This time, we will focus on Arran's whiskey. Be sure to check out Arran, which has been in short supply. Buy whiskey here

What kind of whiskey is Arran?

Single malt whisky made in Scotland

Arran is a brand of whiskey. It is made in Scotland, known as the mecca of whiskey, and is a single malt whiskey made using only malt from a single distillery.
Single malts have become increasingly popular in recent years, and the key point is that each distillery has its own distinct personality. Among single malts, Arran has a milder flavor, making it a highly recommended whiskey for those interested in single malts .
Although it may not have a strong flavor, it does not have a bland taste. There are bottles with spicy or sweet tastes, and they are characterized by their high quality and elegance .
By the way, Arran whiskey has various series, including the famous "Arran 10 Year", each with different taste nuances. We will explain the details of the series in more detail later.

"Island" whiskey, with a distillery on the Isle of Arran

"Island" whiskey, with a distillery on the Isle of Arran
Arran is made by Lochranza Distillery, which is located on the Isle of Arran, and is considered to be an "island" whisky in Scotland.
Scotch whisky is roughly divided into six production areas. Among them, whisky called Islands is whisky made on the northern islands. Island whisky, which is far from the mainland, is characterized by its rich individuality, which is created by differences in soil and water quality.
The Isle of Arran is said to be an ideal environment for maturing whiskey, and you can sense the richness of barrel aging in Arran's whiskey.

The bottle has been significantly renewed, which has become a hot topic.

Aran also became a hot topic after undergoing a major renewal from 2019 to 2020. The highly popular bottle of Aran 10 Year Old has a new label and a stylish look , making it even more popular.
Arran whiskey is so popular that it is sometimes said to be difficult to obtain . It is not an easy-to-drink whiskey for everyday use, but it is definitely worth a try when you want to experience something special.

What is Lochranza Distillery, which makes Arran?

Formerly operated as the Isle of Arran Distillery

To understand what kind of whiskey Arran is, let's take a look at the distillery. As mentioned earlier, the Arran distillery is located on the Isle of Arran and is currently operating as the "Lochranza Distillery". We are doing it.
By the way, the name was changed to Lochranza Distillery in recent years; it previously operated under the name Isle of Arran Distillery .
The Isle of Arran was once a thriving whisky-making area, but the culture of whisky-making fell into disuse due to heavy taxes and other factors. In the 1990s, a distillery was built and whisky distillation began in order to revive whisky-making on the Isle of Arran. The distillery was started with funds raised through a system similar to crowdfunding, and it is clear that whisky fans were very excited about it.
In recent years, Arran has been able to produce a stable amount of whiskey, and as the raw liquor has matured and become tastier, the brand's popularity has increased. In 2019, a new Lagg Distillery was built on the southern coast of the Isle of Arran. With the opening of the second distillery, the Isle of Arran Distillery was renamed Lochranza Distillery, and the whiskey bottle was also renewed. In the future, the two distilleries will be able to produce even more finely divided raw liquors, so it is expected that the quality of the whiskey will further improve .

What is unique about Lochranza Distillery's production process?

Lochranza Distillery is not a large distillery by any means. It is positioned as a craft distillery , and produces whiskey with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity.
At Lochranza Distillery, we use two single-column stills. By using single-column stills rather than continuous stills, we are able to retain the flavor and aroma of the ingredients .
Some of Arran's lineup is bottled without adding water and with a cask finish. You can enjoy the individuality of the raw liquor and the taste of barrel aging. Overall, many of them have a fresh taste with a citrus feel, and the woodiness from the barrel also appears as a unique feature.

Robert Burns McCree Moore also released

In addition to Arran, Lochranza Distillery also produces whiskey under the brand name Robert Burns .
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Robert Burns is originally the name of a Scottish poet, and is known in Japan as the lyricist of "Hotaru no Hikari."
The Lochranza Distillery has a deep connection with Robert Burns and is the only distillery allowed to use his signature and portrait. You can see his portrait on the labels of Robert Burns whiskey.
Robert Burns whiskey is a combination of several raw liquors that are also used in Arran malt, and comes in two types: single malt and blended whiskey . It is an approachable whiskey with a smooth and malty taste, and is a recommended series for those who are interested in Arran.
The distillery also produces a whiskey called McCree Moore .

This whiskey is a single malt made with peated malt. Made with malt with a phenol value of 20 ppm, the whiskey has a distinctive salty peat flavor. If you like whiskey with a smoky nuance, this bottle is also recommended.

Alan's lineup! From classics such as Alan 10 years to limited edition products

In addition to the four standard bottles, Arran whiskey also has limited edition products. From here, we will introduce the features of each product in the Arran lineup.

Arran Malt 10 Years

  • Alcohol content: 46%
  • Age: 10 years or more
  • Price: Approx. 5,500 yen
The Arran Malt 10 Year is one of the brand's classic bottles and is the most popular of the Arran range. It is affectionately known as the "Arran 10 Year", and the bottle was renewed in 2019.
The Arran 10 Year Old is made mainly from aged malt from first-fill bourbon barrels . It is aged for 10 years and has a refreshing sweetness reminiscent of honey and candied citrus, as well as a soft and smooth mouthfeel.
As you drink it, you can also sense the spices of hazelnuts and cinnamon. The alcohol content is a little high at 46%, and the balance is such that the flavor won't change even if you drink it straight or add water.

Alan Barrel Reserve

  • Alcohol content: 43%
  • Ageing: Approximately 7 to 8 years
  • Price: Approx. 3,700 yen
The Arran Barrel Reserve is the cheapest of Arran's standard bottles, and is positioned as an entry-level model. The raw liquor used is aged for about 7 to 8 years in first-fill bourbon barrels .
It has a floral base, which is characteristic of Arran, and a refreshing taste. It is a versatile whiskey that can be enjoyed in any situation.

Arran Sherry Cask

  • Alcohol content: 55.8%
  • Ageing: Approximately 7 years
  • Price: Approx. 12,000 yen
Arran Sherry Cask contains only whiskey aged in first-fill sherry hogsheads . As you would expect from a sherry cask-aged whiskey, it has a full-bodied, rich, sweet flavor . It also has a stronger ruby ​​color than regular Arran.
It is bottled at cask strength and has a high alcohol content of 55.8%. Another attractive feature is that it can be purchased for around 10,000 yen, which is a reasonable price for a single malt aged in a sherry cask.

Arran Quarter Cask

  • Alcohol content: 56.2%
  • Ageing: 9 years
  • Price: Approx. 6,000 yen
Arran Quarter Cask is made by aging raw liquor for seven years in bourbon barrels, then aging it for another two years in small barrels called quarter casks . A quarter cask is a small barrel of 125 liters, and because the surface area that comes into contact with the whiskey is large, when aged in this barrel, the nuances of the wooden barrel are strongly reflected in the whiskey.
The spicy taste brought about by the ripening process is impressive, and combined with the citrus character of Alan, it gives the impression of lemon peel. This is also bottled at cask strength, making it perfect for those who want to experience the direct flavor of the raw liquor.

Arran Malt 18 Year Old

  • Alcohol content: 46%
  • Age: 18 years
  • Price: Approx. 30,000 yen
Arran Malt 18 is a premium version of Arran. It is made by vatting first-fill bourbon barrel malt with malt aged in shell hogsheads , giving it a concentrated flavor.
Because it is an aged type, it has the usual Arran characteristics with a toasty aroma similar to toasted oak and caramel.

Arran Malt 21 Year Old

  • Alcohol content: 46%
  • Age: 21 years
  • Price: Approximately 60,000 yen
The Arran Malt 21 Year Old is made using only malt aged in first and second fill sherry hogsheads. It is a whiskey that has been aged for a long time in a so-called sherry cask , and has a taste that is different from other Arrans. It has a deep sweetness like dark chocolate, spices like ginger, a jam-like taste, and a lingering aftertaste of nuts, making it rich and well-balanced.

Arran Sauternes Cask

  • Alcohol content: 50%
  • Ageing: Approximately 8 years
  • Price: Approx. 13,000 yen
Arran Sauternes Cask is a whiskey that has been aged in oak barrels and then further aged in Sauternes casks . Sauternes casks are barrels used to produce Sauternes wine, a sweet botrytis wine .
It has a sweet aroma reminiscent of botrytis wine, with hints of brandy and grapes. It also has a sweet taste, with a salty aftertaste that brings out the sweetness.

Arran Port Cask

  • Alcohol content: 50%
  • Ageing: Approximately 8 years
  • Price: Approx. 18,000 yen
As the name suggests, Arran Port Cask is a limited edition Arran that has been aged in a port cask. Port casks are barrels used to age port wine, a type of fortified wine, and it is said that aging in these barrels gives the wine a dry and spicy flavor.
This whiskey is non-chill filtered and bottled without any added coloring, and you can tell at a glance that it is deep and rich in color . This is a bottle we recommend to those who like whiskey with a strong impression.

How to enjoy Arran, straight or on the rocks

Once you get your hands on a bottle of Arran, pay attention to how you drink it. As mentioned above, Arran has many bottles with a high alcohol content, and it can be enjoyed neat or mixed in a variety of ways.

<Straight>

Alan Straight
If you are drinking Aran for the first time, try it straight. It has a strong alcoholic taste because of its high alcohol content, but it is not difficult to drink and you can enjoy its rich aroma and delicious flavor.
If you drink it straight, you can taste the malty sweetness even more.

<Twice Up>

Whisky
Twice-up is a method of drinking whiskey by mixing it with water in a 1:1 ratio. By adding water, not only is the alcoholic sensation reduced, but it also gives the impression that the aroma is more open, so it is recommended . When making a twice-up, be careful not to chill it too much.
The water used for adding water is best to use mineral water with few impurities. Be careful not to add too much water.

<Rock>

Alain Locke
Drinking Aran on the rocks with large ice cubes floating in it is also a good way to drink it. The strong flavor of Aran does not fade over time, so it is easy to enjoy it on the rocks.
Although Arran has a spicy taste when drunk straight, it has a sweeter impression when drunk on the rocks. It is also recommended for those who want an easy-to-drink drink.

<Highball>

Alan Highball
The must-have way to drink whiskey is the highball, which tastes great when made with Arran. Arran highballs have a citrus flavor and are perfect as an accompaniment to meals.

Alan, which is hard to obtain and in short supply, is also recommended for buying alcohol.

Buy whiskey here
Arran is a craft whiskey, so despite its popularity, the number of shipments is small. In particular, Arran 10 Year and limited edition bottles are sometimes said to be difficult to obtain.
You can expect a high appraisal value for Arran's whiskey even in alcohol purchases. If you have an unopened bottle and have no plans to drink it in the future, you should definitely consider using alcohol purchase services.
At Linkus, a liquor buying specialist store, our staff are knowledgeable about whiskey and will carefully assess your Arran, allowing you to buy it at a high price . You can also use our service to "just get an appraisal first," so if you're interested in buying Arran, please feel free to contact us.
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summary

Alan is a rich and fruity whiskey that has the flavor of barrel aging. It has a well-balanced and easy-to-drink taste, so it is recommended for whiskey beginners.
It is said to be in short supply because it is not a brand that can be purchased at convenience stores or supermarkets, but it is of course possible to purchase it from online shops and liquor stores. Why not take this opportunity to check it out?
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