ARRAN - ALIVE AND KICKING

By Neil Wilson

It sometimes seems as though everyone in Scotland with a plot of land and a source of water is in the process of developing a niche Scotch whisky distillery project. So what can they learn from established models? Neil Wilson visits Lochranza to see how the Isle of Arran distillery has survived its first decade of whisky making.

A milestone will be marked by this issue of Fine Expressions, which appears as Isle of Arran Distillers launch their 10-year-old single malt bottling. In June 1996 I stood alongside company chairman Harold Currie, 'master of malt' John Lamond and distiller Gordon Mitchell on a stage erected beside the Lochranza distillery to celebrate its first anniversary. We were accompanied by numerous other malt enthusiasts and bondholders who had made the same pilgrimage from around the world. The distillery's forthcoming 11th birthday will be something to celebrate, particularly given the ups and downs that the company has experienced in the intervening years.

The reintroduction of legal malt whisky production to Arran in 1995 after almost 160 years was the brainchild of Harold Currie who, as he approached retirement from a senior position with Chivas Brothers in the late 1980s, started looking for a suitable site where he could make his dream a reality. The location at Lochranza was eventually chosen because of the quality of the water, the potential tourist income and its availability. £20,000 of local enterprise board money materialised to help fund construction of the first warehouse, but support from the Highlands & Islands Development Board was not forthcoming - for reasons perhaps only that body could explain.

Harold Currie began funding the building of the distillery by offering malt enthusiasts the opportunity to buy into a bondholder scheme. For a sum of £450, each bondholder received the option to purchase five cases of an Arran blend at three years old and the same amount of pure Arran malt at six years. In this way Isle of Arran Distillers raised £1,125,000. I was one of those original bondholders who believed that this unique venture was something worth supporting, come what may. The industry, as a whole, remained sceptical, but Harold and his fellow board-member sons, Andrew and Paul, believed they had the ability to make the venture a long-term success.

Ten years ago, some burning questions remained for me. As the spirit could not legally be called Scotch whisky for three years, how would the distillery prosper as the new spirit matured, and how would it generate enough cash to keep afloat? Harold and his sons were clear on their objectives at the outset. Firstly, they needed to establish a portfolio of brands by buying in blends to get into the home trade and create income. Secondly, they had to sell bulk fillings to trade customers. Thirdly, they needed to establish a good restaurant and reception facilities to get tourists to visit the distillery and spend their money. Finally, they needed to develop overseas markets before the bottled malt was available for sale.

Partial success was achieved when on-site developments went ahead and the visitor centre was opened by HM Queen Elizabeth on the 9th August 1997 (when the royal yacht Britannia was making her final voyage). The next three years brought some degree of consolidation in the business, but trading was tough. By 2000, Harold had decided to retire (though he retains the title of President), and both Paul and Andrew had new ventures to pursue, so a fresh management team was brought in.

TASTING NOTES

Arran Single Malt, 43%ABV
Fruity nose with pear drops and apples. More fruit on the palate with some caramel and fudge notes. Light but pleasant finish with a fruity aftertaste.

Non chill-filtered Arran Single Malt, 46%ABV
Fresh on the nose with caramel and hazelnuts, some pear drop tones and pepper. Taste carries over the palate with a pleasing fruitiness, hints of sweetness and some pepper again. The finish remains spicy and sweet.

Arran, 10-year-old, 46%ABV
Toffee and fudge notes with some vanilla, chocolate and bourbon on the nose. Very good body and mouthfeel on the palate. Creamy, with spice notes and pepper. Long-lasting, peppery finish. Delicious.

This is a brief extract from an article in Issue 6 of Fine Expressions. The full version will appear here once Issue 7 is published. To enjoy our entire magazine, we encourage you to buy a copy.