A 10-year-long project by Isle of Arran Distillers is finally coming to life culminating in the launch of a whisky that is deeply rooted in its home. Born from a close partnership with farmers on the island’s rugged south end, this special collaboration has come to life as Arran Barley Single Malt Batch 001 – a whisky that celebrates the land, the people, and the craft that brings it all together.
This highly anticipated release comes at an exciting time for Isle of Arran Distillers, who have just celebrated their 30th anniversary and proudly remained independent since their founding in 1995. Reviving legal whisky production on the island after 150 years of silence, following a colourful history of illicit distilling and smuggling, the company now owns two single malt Scotch whisky distilleries, crafting award-winning whiskies enjoyed around the world.
Creating the new Arran Barley Single Malt would not have been possible without Isle of Arran Distillers’ close partnership with Bellevue Farm, Arran, which has been run by the Currie family for six generations. Today, with Donald Currie at the helm, they cultivate around 95 acres (38 hectares) of barley across the Shiskine Valley and the southern half of the island. Isle of Arran Distillers has had the privilege of working with the Curries since 2015, sourcing barley from two 10-hectare fields located beside the company’s newer Lagg Distillery. The Curries rotate their fields between barley and sheep grazing, using the livestock to restore nutrients and improve soil health for the next crop.
The crop, sown in March and harvested in September, is grown using as many on-farm nutrients as possible, integrated with the livestock operation to help lower the overall carbon footprint. From each acre, Isle of Arran Distillers typically yield 2.5 tons of barley, with about 1.8 tons undergoing kilning by maltsters. Of the barley received today, 75% goes to Lochranza Distillery and 25% to Lagg Distillery which has been also producing a limited annual run of spirit with local barley since 2020.
Isle of Arran Distillers first used locally grown Arran barley in their Lochranza production in 2015. At that time, the variety was Optic, which is now proudly presented in the first-ever release of the Arran Barley Single Malt Batch 001. The choice of barley strain varies from year to year, following industry standards and agricultural best practices, including the rotation of older varieties to introduce newer, more resilient strains.
Cultivating barley in Scotland’s west coast climate is notoriously challenging, making the quality of the Arran barley used all the more impressive. The Lochranza Distillery production team notes that working with Arran barley is a hands-on process. It produces a sticky wort that requires constant monitoring and stirring. The result, however, is worth the effort – a complex, intensely fruity new-make spirit with a distinctive oily, resinous character.
This whisky has been matured in a carefully selected mix of first-fill bourbon barrels and second-fill sherry hogsheads, in proportions similar to the multi-awarded Arran 10 Year Old. Like the Arran 10 Year Old, it is bottled unfiltered and uncoloured, reflecting an unwavering commitment to producing an excellent quality whisky. Bottled at 50% ABV, it is a limited annual release of just 18,000 bottles worldwide.
In the glass, it’s a delight from start to finish. On the nose, fresh herbs and light citrus mingle with vanilla and a touch of aniseed, creating an enticing aroma. The palate is rich and layered, with spicy ginger, biscuity malt, and a gentle oakiness, complemented by citrus and a smooth, oily texture that brings out summer fruit notes. The finish is medium and dry, leaving lingering hints of citrus, cereal and aniseed – a beautifully balanced and intriguing dram.
The Arran Barley 10 Year Old debuts with brand-new packaging, inspired by the warm hues of barley fields and featuring the distinctive textured finish familiar from other Arran whiskies. The label has been designed to provide transparency for the curious whisky enthusiast, detailing the barley variety, the supplying farm, the batch number, and the total bottles produced. For the first time, the bottle will be presented in a recyclable cardboard tube that retains the familiar removable metal top lid but now features a cardboard base in place of the traditional metal closure, a thoughtful step forward in Arran’s commitment to sustainability.
Stewart Bowman, Lochranza Distillery Manager, said: “It is a privilege for us at Isle of Arran Distillers to collaborate so closely with a dedicated island producer, bringing the provenance of Arran ingredients even closer to home. Our partnership with the Bellevue Farm is something we deeply value, built on a shared commitment to the land and to quality.”
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A new batch of the Arran Barley Single Malt Edition will be released annually, with variations reflecting the crop type, cask selection, and volumes available each year.
