Q:
How many Distilleries are there in Scotland?
A:
Around 750 have been licenced since 1689 but today there are only around 80 open and working. Some have been either mothballed or closed.
Q:
How many Scotch Whiskies are there?
A:
Well in excess of 2,000 although it is difficult to be specific with the advent of supermarket brands, duty free specific brands and other own label products which come and go at all times.
Q:
What is a Single Malt?
A:
It is the product of one specific malt distillery and that one distillery only. Currently attracting great acclaim, they are no longer Scotland's greatest secret. Sought throughout the world for the complexity of different flavours, they are the fastest growing segment of sales in the whisky sector.
Q:
How should I drink my whisky?
A:
Any way you like! We recommend the addition of a small amount of water to Single Malts. This helps to release some of the more subtle aromas. Please see our nosing and tasting guide elsewhere on this site.
Q:
What does "Cask Strength" whisky mean?
A:
Normal Single Malts are diluted down to 43% to attract the least alcohol duty. A growing trend is for "Cask Strength" bottlings (normally between 56 and 62%) bottled at the natural strength of the matured whisky in the cask. We recommend that after intial tastings this type of product should have water added to release some of the more subtle aromas prevalent in the whisky. For details of the Arran range of Cask Strength whiskies, including our various different finishes, please do visit our online shop.
Q:
What does "non chill filtering" mean?
A:
To improve clarity and brightness, the industry introduced a chill filtration process which reduced the temperature in Malts to around 2-5 degrees C, then filtering to remove the emulsified oils and eliminate clouding in the bottle. Recently, many independent companies (Arran included) have produced products which do not go through the chill filtration process, arguing that this process also removed many of the flavour elements which give the whisky its character. These bottlings are usually at 46% or higher. To view the Arran Non Chillfiltered Malt, you will find a photograph and details in our online shop.
Q:
When did the last legal distillery on Arran cease trading?
A:
Approx 160 years ago.
Q:
What is the single most influencing factor to the taste of whisky, e.g is it the distiling method, water, or type of cask etc.?
A:
All these have an influence on how the final product will taste therefore it is difficult to say what the single most influencing factor is. However, most whisky people would say that the quality and type of cask in which the whisky spends most of its life has a very great influence in the final taste of the whisky.