Wer sich an den Anblick der Abfüllungen aus der Brennerei Arran (oder genauer gesagt, der Lochranza Distillery) auf der gleichnamigen Insel gewöhnt hat, der wird sich umgewöhnen müssen: Mit einem neuen Logo, neuem Flaschen- und Verpackungsdesign sowie neuen Single Malts tritt die Destillerie an, alles anders aber gleich gut wie bisher zu machen.
Alles der Reihe nach: Der Arran 10yo wird im Whisky selbst unverändert bleiben – eine fassstarke Version mit 56.3% Alk./vol. kommt hinzu. Neu wird es einen Arran Barrel Reserve geben, zu 100% aus Bourbon Barrels, allerdings ohne Altersangabe. Neu ist auch ein Arran Sherry Cask, der mit 55.8% abgefüllt wird. Er nennt sich „The Botega“ und kommt ebenfalls ohne Altersangabe.
Es sieht so aus, als wäre der Arran The Bothy nun als Arran Quarter Cask erhältlich, mit einer Stärke von 56.2% alk./vol.
Die Arran 18yo und Arran 21yo werden nicht verschwinden, sondern ab Oktober ebenfalls im neuen Design zu haben sein. Was mit den Cask Finishes geschieht, ist uns momentan nicht bekannt.
Die neuen Flaschen werden ab 16. September im Arran Webshop erhältlich sein und danach wohl auch bei den Händlern erhältlich sein. Interessantes Detail am Rande: Auch an Sehbehinderte hat man gedacht und die Flaschen erstens mit Reliefdruck und zweitens mit Blindenschrift ausgestattet.
Die Lochranza Distillery bekommt ein neues Logo, das so auch auf den Flaschen vertreten ist:
Auch ein neues Logo für das Unternehmen, Isle of Arran Distillers, ist öffentlich geworden:
Addendum: Hier ist noch die englischsprachige Presseaussendung, den wir nach der Veröffentlichung unseres Artikels erhalten haben:
Isle of Arran Distillers unveil fresh redesign which captures the spirit of the island
The Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd. have launched a new look across their range of Arran Single Malt whiskies, including a new logo and packaging for their core range.
The campaign, which incorporates an entirely new visual identity for the brand, is titled ‘A Breath of Fresh Arran’ and aims to showcase the natural elements and authenticity of the island malts by focusing on the unique provenance of their home village, Lochranza, where their first distillery was opened in 1995.
The contemporary new bottle design reflects the journey of the water source for the Arran Single Malts, which cascades through a series of six mountain waterfalls, each one purifying the water further. The ripples on the new glass bottles illustrate this and emphasise the pure nature of the spirit.
An updated icon, which will appear on the new bottles in copper foil, is in the shape of the island itself and features a pair of eagles, which have always been an important part of the Lochranza Distillery story. Their nesting season prompted a break in construction back in 1994 when the distillery was being built and they have remained in residence for the past 25 years.
Natural materials and colour tones are used across all brand touch points, as well as tactile emboss and delicate foiling with clean lines in order to maintain a consistent look and feel that keeps simplicity at the core.
Crucially, the liquid inside remains unchanged and fans of the distillers can continue to enjoy the authentic Arran Single Malts.
Alongside the new branding, there are also two new expressions joining the core range. Firstly, ‘Barrel Reserve’, which has a light, flexible and fruity character and the cask strength ‘The Bodega’, a Sherry Cask matured spirit that partners the award-winning Quarter Cask ‘The Bothy’.
The first four expressions in the new pack will be released this month, with bottles available to purchase from arranwhisky.com from Monday 16th September.
Newly packaged 18-year-old and 21-year-old age statement Single Malts will also join the core range in October 2019.
The opening of the company’s Lagg Distillery, their second distillery on the island which opened earlier this year, has partly prompted the re-packaging as the company now becomes the owners of two very different sites with different brand identities.
Master Blender at Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd., James MacTaggart, said:
“As a company, we have grown immensely since I joined the team over 12 years ago.
“We were one of the first wave of new distillers back in the early 1990s and in June this year, we started a new chapter in our story with the opening of our second distillery at Lagg. It felt like the right time to make the clear distinction between the unique and very different spirits produced at each of our island homes.
“We’ve taken inspiration from the elements that make Lochranza so special to produce a unique and beautiful new pack, which does justice to the liquid it contains. We are very excited about the future of our original Arran Single Malt.”
The new Arran Single Malt branding has been created by London based drinks packaging design experts Stranger & Stranger.
