Don’t Miss This Truly Unique Find in Peated Scotch Whisky
Arran “Machrie Moor” Cask Strength Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)
“It’s really the perfect summertime peater.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer
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With the sheer number of stellar Scotch whiskies on our shelves and in the market at large, it’s hard to believe how difficult it is to find a single malt that’s a true medium peater—that is, not a full-on campfire yet still enough to satisfy the smoke hounds. This style is highly sought-after but rarely achieved, and Arran’s “Machrie Moor” flat out nails it. At levels of 20 parts per million, this whisky hits all the right notes in the perfect peat register. It’s a thrilling preview of what’s to come from Arran’s brand new distillery at Lagg, where the focus will be on all things peat. The Machrie Moor is bottled at cask strength and without coloring, so the authentic nature of the whisky is free to shine. It is by no means shy on the smoke character, but this feature serves as a steady background to a staggering showcase of aromas and flavors. Ocean brine, sweet citrus, and candied almonds highlight the wide-ranging profile of one of the more unique single malts we’ve come across in a long time. Although it’s a stunner at full cask proof, the Machrie Moor is also extremely receptive to water, so splash away and ride out the dog days of summer with a truly refreshing Scotch, the likes of which you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
Arran “Machrie Moor” Cask Strength Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($79.99)
Independently owned since its inception in 1995, the folks at Arran have been quietly making some of the very best island-distilled whisky in Scotland for 25 years. Their water source is 100% rainwater coming from Loch Na Davie high above the distillery. The clean water combined with 100% Concerto malt and a careful distillation is the essence of Arran—it’s fresh, barley-forward and shows flavors heavy with citrus, stone fruit, and vanilla pudding. They never color or chill filter any of their whiskies, choosing instead to retain all of the natural beauty they worked so hard to capture. The Machrie Moore is named for a distinct peat bog on the west coast of the island and features a fresh blast of peat that perfectly matches the amazing freshness of the Lochranza distillate. Since 2019 all of the peated production on the Isle of Arran has moved to the new Lagg distillery on the south side of the island. This is the last chance to sock away a few bottles of the cask strength Lochranza-peated whisky before it’s gone forever.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 01, 2020
This fun whisky from Arran is now more or less extinct at least in this package. We are forever in search of a great malt that can properly be described as “somewhat peaty.” Despite what many might believe, there are very few in between malts. Almost everything that’s readily available is either 30+ parts or zero. Yes there are a few exceptions, like Oban, Balvenie, and Dalwhinnie, but in general these don’t really cross the threshold to really feel the peat in a big way (Oban is probably the closest). There’s of course a few exceptions, but the options are extremely limited. So when we came across the Machrie Moor at the very reasonable 20 ppm, we were intrigued. Now add that this small batch is not colored and is bottled at cask strength and that’s a recipe for something special. The color is pale gold. The nose is extremely focused with an obvious ocean quality, but not the Laphroiag slap that some peat lovers might be craving. Instead, the smoke is lingering in the background with salinity and crystalline malt coming through. Clean and gentle, yet not boring by any means. On the palate some smoldering peat and some green earthiness. Green apple skin, crushed oyster shell, and bits of citrus. This is NOT a lightly peated whisky, but it’s a balanced medium peater, which is really very rare in our world. Bottled at cask strength, it’s delicious, but this guy loves water too so don’t be afraid to hit it with a few satisfying splashes of water. It develops some interesting character at the slightly lower proofs, offering more citrus, more fruit and a bit of the salted fish character that we all love so well.
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 29, 2020
The color of dried straw and with a nose of smoldering peat, the cask strength Machrie Moor gives us a brief glimpse into what we might expect from the Lagg distillery in a number of years, albeit on a different set of stills. Rather than being very heavily peated, the Machrie Moor clocks in at 20PPM peat levels, just enough to shine against the light and fruity background of Arran without overwhelming it. It’s really a perfect summer time peater. Fresh and salty with tons of sweet citrus. Dusted in cocoa powder and redolent with caramelized almonds. The peat hangs like the air after a forest fire is put out – warm and heavy.
