Arran Signature Series Trio
Editions #1, #2 and #3 | various ABV
I like Isle of Arran whisky.
Like, a lot. And I know quite a few around the Dramface writer desks tend to agree with me.
But, as with some of the basic laws, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So when a distillery experiences success, so comes the rise of naysayers.
Success can come in many forms. Take Ardbeg’s original special releases way back for example. They were apparently quite good (I haven’t tried them), but then came the corresponding rise of critics and vitriol. Some warranted and some unwarranted mind you. But that success came quietly, passed around by word of mouth. But what about success that is a little louder, wider reaching?
Does that warrant an even larger pushback? For several years Arran has ranked quite high and even won some of the OSWA categories. While I fully agreed with their victories around the excellent quality and value Arran 10 yo, it had sparked a significant number of discrepancies and arguments. Some of it was around the format of the OSWAs where nominated whiskies were voted on by OSWA contributors/judges before a wider public vote was cast. It’s not a foolproof system where, if you have only had a couple of the whiskies on the chopping block, you’re not likely going to be voting for the other whiskies you haven’t tried. Not foolproof indeed, but still a unique and valuable award system.
Isle of Arran recently won the 2025 Distillery of the Year and a Gold medal for their 10yo in the 12 Years and Under Category, which they also won in 2023 from the Scottish Whisky Awards. So it’s not just the public forums shouting about it, but other more formal and opaque venues are also recognising the quality of spirit and matured whisky.
I’d wager that some of the pushback has died down, settling into a background murmur. Maybe it is because the whisky category as a whole is cooling down so purchasing fervour and forum comments have correspondingly reduced. However, I generally think that there is more than enough whisky around for everyone and therefore the competition to buy those whiskies has dropped off. By our very nature, humans still have a competitive streak in us.
Arran generally doesn’t release many special releases. Sure they have distillery exclusives, club exclusives, and other similar small format releases, but they haven’t released anything “special” and at scale in some time, until this Signature Series came along. According to Arran’s website, this is a four-part series. So being the clever and deductive Inspector Clouseau that I am, we should be expecting Signature Series #4 sometime in 2026. (edit - after I finished writing this review, I see that Arran announced the final instalment will be coming soon).
Let’s take a look at the preceding trio to see if these (or #4) are worth your chase…
Review 1/3
Arran Signature Series No. 1, Remnant Renegade, Sherry Hogshead/Sherry Butt/Bourbon Barrel, 14,863 bottle outturn, 2023 release, 46% ABV
CAD$130 paid (£70) now sold out
This is an aptly named whisky, unlike some of the Diageo special release swill that’s shoved into our faces.
This no age stated (NAS) release is a combination of the leftovers, the remnants, the dregs (see what DF did there!). Not every liter of disgorged whisky ends up in the bottling line. Some remain behind because it doesn’t fit within the bottling batch limit, doesn’t fit within the blend ratio for the bottling, or other similar reasoning.
So this blend is made up of the leftovers, ranging from their early 1997 distillate to their 2017 disgorged releases. The remnants, given a second life.
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A trip to the sweet shop
Nose
Hard candies. Jujubes. Nicely bright and fruity sherry notes. Strawberry danish. Cooked apple laced with white sugar. Trace undertones of leather and indistinct citrus.
Palate
Rich, sweet and decadent entry, the strength playing perfectly here. Cooked red apples. Hard red candies. Swedish berries. Oxidized oranges. Some of the Arran trademark maltiness is here but very much beneath the sweets. There is no alcoholic prickle here, just pure unfettered whisky flavors. The finish is a very long and gentle decline of the sweetness, with just a pinch of cinnamon tingles coming in at the very end signalling you to raise the glass to your facehole again because it is so damn good.
The Dregs
Hindsight sucks.
The old saying of hindsight being 20-20, viewing things gone past with unnerving clarity and wisdom, can definitely apply to whisky. I had bought this bottle some time before I opened it. And what a folly that was. After trying it and realizing how much I enjoyed that initial sip, I tried to find more bottles, but no such luck.
This is a beautifully married blend of Arran spirits and casks and, if you can still find it in your area, it is well worth trying. I know I’ll be pushing this bottle to the back of the shelf and nursing this one for a while to come.
Score: 8/10
Review 2/3
Arran Signature Series No. 2, Barrel Bonfire 11yo, 42 ppm peated Quarter Casks, 14,822 bottle outturn, 2024 release, 50% ABV
CAD$130 paid (£70) now mostly sold out
Alright, the labelling here could be improved. At a quick glance, one could assume that this whisky, unpeated as per the norm of Lochranza (Arran), was matured in quarter casks that held 42 ppm peated whisky before, like many whiskies out there that were “finished in peated quarter casks” (ahem, Laphroaig). But alas, you would be wrong!
This release features 42ppm phenolic content malted barley, distilled using the Lochranza stills (not Lagg), before filling into bourbon barrels. After a 5.5 year snooze in said bourbon barrels, they were transferred to Koval distillery Bourbon quarter casks for the remaining 5.5 year “finish”. Reminder here: quarter casks are ~115 L and Koval is a small (craft) distillery in Chicago, USA, known for producing some characterful bourbons and ryes. In this instance, Koval’s ex-bourbon quarter casks were filled with their 51% corn and 49% millet mash-bill distillate.
So this is heavily peated Arran distillate matured in a combination of American oak ex-bourbon barrels and quarter casks.
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
A confused, but still good, Arran release
Nose
A departure from Arran’s core spirit. A dry woody well oxygenated smoke dominates the top notes, supported underneath with the core orange citrus tones and light vanilla. Some maltiness joins the party, especially on retronasal.
Palate
A deviation from the nose. The smoke is playing second here but is still that dry woody type smoke. Elements of wood-smoked crispy burnt ends. The main elements of this whisky are the Arran 10 yo items - orange citrus zest, French vanilla, and a decent white pepper zing with a dusting of icing sugar barrel sweetness. The finish is short and objectively generic.
The Dregs
I’ll be honest - as I hope you know I always am - the price is somewhat dear for the experience here. Given my experience with #1 and missing out on backup bottles, I had bought a backup bottle of this whisky. I’m not mad that I did because this is still quality whisky, but it just doesn’t have the wow-factor that #1 did and it is priced high enough that it isn’t a daily dram, yet isn’t special enough to warrant the borderline special pricing.
Score: 6/10
Review 3/3
Arran Signature Series No. 3, Duero Discovery 12 yo, Bourbon Barrel/1st Fill Spanish Red Wine, 15,049 bottle outturn, 2025 release, 50% ABV
CAD$130 paid (£70) now mostly sold out
This gorgeously colored whisky spent six years in ex-bourbon before a second, double maturation for six years in Spanish first-fill wine casks. And I say double maturation because in my books, a finish is anything short of three years, and a double maturation is anything greater than three years, following the logic that new-make spirit can’t be called whisky until after three years in many countries around the world.
Score: 7/10
Very good indeed.
TL;DR
A sweet crowd-pleaser
Nose
The immediate wafts of sweetness beg you to explore. Swedish red berry candies. Warm raspberry and strawberry jam. Fresh baked patisserie with icing drizzle. No, there aren't 20 different notes of lavish extravagance here like other reviews, but this is simple, honestly good smelling whisky.
Palate
Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V from the nose. Some perfectly balanced cinnamon and nutmeg nibbles help offset the sticky sweetness. Some vanilla joins the party, along the lines of French vanilla, likely from the bourbon barrels. Orange scone undertones. The mouthfeel here is quite syrupy, helping drive the medium length jammy finish.
I was worried about the potential level of tannins from the red wine but thankfully they are non-existent. This is a clean demonstration of what can be achieved with red wine casks, albeit rarely executed this well.
The Dregs
This is a tough one. On one hand, the sweet aspects of this are great and ensure that anyone can drink this and be happy-to-ecstatic; but on the other hand, it’s just a tad sweet for my personal tastes. It does ride the line very well of being sweet but not cloying, so if you love your sweets and especially the sweeter end of the sherry spectrum, this Arran is right up your street.
With a score in mind, I went back to another Arran I was using as a reference point of similar score: the recently released Arran Barley 10 yo. Pouring these side-by-side, they are equivalent quality, hence earning the same score, but these whiskies (Duero and Arran Barley) are distinctly different. Isn’t whisky fun!
Score: 7/10
The Final Dregs
So what’s the verdict Broddy? Is Arran worth the hype and the chase? Yes, yes they are.
But, as with all whiskies, we can all enjoy different things. If you’re a peathead, then you’re unlikely to find something within Arran’s stables to your liking. Likewise, if you are an ex-bourbon only fan, Arran’s very gentle and deft touch of sherry in their whiskies is unlikely going to fit your profile perfectly. However, I would wager that you should give Arran a try. So if you don’t like Arran, it may be worth skipping over these; however given the variety of flavours presented in these releases, you may just enjoy Arran or one of these!
I, for one, am excited about the upcoming #4 release. Each of these releases are unique in their own right and I hope that Arran continues this theme. I also hope that they continue releasing great whisky no matter what awards they may or may not win and what the naysayers mutter.
We should be celebrating whiskymakers that release honest products at good prices without fettering about with chill filtering and colouring.
Tried these? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
What’s your own personal top distilleries?
At the point of this article’s publication, Isle of Arran’s Lochranza currently sits in position #6 in the Dramface Top 40.
You can influence that vote here!
