Arran Duero Discovery - 12 yo - Signature Series #3

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 50% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Duero Discovery is the third release in the limited Arran Signature Series. Distillery Manager Stewart Bowman selected the casks and signed the edition. The unpeated single malt first matured for six years in first- and second-fill bourbon barrels. The whisky then spent another six years in first-fill casks that had previously held red wine from Spain’s Duero region. This second maturation took place in Warehouse No. 4.

The red wine casks add depth to Arran’s fruity style. This release brings together dark berries and fig with caramelised fruit, hazelnut, vanilla, a delicate note of grapefruit peel, a little ginger and anise, and oak. After selecting the casks, Stewart Bowman married the whiskies; 15,049 bottles were filled in 2025 at 50% ABV for release worldwide. The whisky is non-chill-filtered, contains no added colouring and comes in a pouch.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose brings caramelised fruit and hazelnut, accompanied by light notes of salted caramel and grapefruit peel.
• Palate: The whisky has a full-bodied, layered texture on the palate. Oak comes forward alongside dark red berries and creamy vanilla, with a little ginger, sweet spice and anise.
• Finish: The long finish remains sweet, with lingering hazelnut and ripe fig. Vanilla, toasted oak and a sweetness reminiscent of sweets also persist.

Distillery/Bottler:

Lochranza Distillery stands in the north of the Isle of Arran. Legal whisky distillation resumed there in 1995 after a 158-year absence on the island. Its water comes from Loch na Davie and reaches the distillery via the Easan Biorach stream. Production includes fermentation in wooden washbacks and double distillation in copper pot stills. In the south, Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd. also operates its sister distillery Lagg, whose heavily peated style has a different focus.

Lochranza makes the single malt used in Duero Discovery. Stewart Bowman oversaw its maturation and decided when the selected whiskies should be married. Behind Arran is Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd., the company that owns Lochranza and Lagg distilleries. The four-part Signature Series centres on Bowman’s cask selection and Arran’s diversity of flavour.

Facts: