Category: Auchentoshan

Style: Crisp, Dignified and Fruity

Nose:
Begins with fresh honeydew, honeycomb and plenty of vanilla oak shaving. Peppermint flowers accentuate in the middle with a nice waxy texture. Wood ingrains and wintergreen undertone. Spicy, but not aggressive. Slightly mineralic, some potato kind of earthy-starchiness as well. A small splash of lemonade on barley and malt.

Palate:
A beautiful burst of melon sweetness, round, oily and flavourful. Difficult to imagine this is a triple-distilled spirit. Butterscotch and malty core. Tropical fruits and floral fragrance edging towards a lighter overtone, passionfruit lemonade and some orange confectionaries as well. Taros and assorted garden herbs buried underneath. Oak is less outspoken but is still prevalent in the background, wood chips, ginger, barley and dryness forming at the back creating a crisp lager back palate. Vanilla malt tail, quite delicious.

Finish:
Tropical fruits punchbowl, malt, bubblegum and watermint. Light, sweet and crisp.

Thoughts:
Great Auchentoshan is rather hard to come by and I am glad to announce we have such a brilliant gem over here. Personally, I am a bit skeptical on triple-distilled malt as it can be too spirit-y and tertiary flavours/nuances are often decimated. Despite being a 35-year-old there is little sign of tiredness and remains quite energetic, whereas the maturation injects extra layers of complexity and composure. Resulting a crisp and light expression with beautiful depth. This is my perfect summer dram.

☆☆ [Highly Recommended]

[46.9%|Original Bottling|1975D|2011B|Bottle Number: 233 of 500|Bourbon casks|Cask Strength|Limited Edition|**]

-Esmond

Style: Delicate Fruits and Floral

Nose:
Spearmint and white flower bouquet powdered up by icing sugar. Caramel snaps, more green herbs. A light touch of hibiscus flowers, orange liquor, throwing in some dry chocolate nuts and chilli spice.

Palate:
Delicate with positive floral notes, delicious orange chocolate and while white flower nectar flowing onto the palate. Ginger soaking in barley syrup with a touch of fresh-cut grass. Undertone of chocolate caramel. Mellow flavours, but a rather oily texture. Orange fruits melting slowly while a mini-wave of chili spices pushes in. Dries up towards the end.

Finish:
Orange gummies disappearing, light chocolate almonds treading lightly on honey water.

Thoughts:
A very upbeat Auchentoshan by Three Rivers. It is not easy to find a great Auchentoshan these days, sometimes I feel the triple distillation process is partially responsible as it removes some of the nuances from the spirit which I couldn’t help but feel something is missing. Also you will have to count on the cask to pull extra weight. This malt works out well and I am delighted. Delicate while showing plenty of charm. Very nice.

☆ [Recommended]

[54.1% • 2016 Bottled • 1994 Distilled • Independent Bottling • Single Cask • Cask Strength • Non Coloured • Non Chill Filtered • 185 Bottles • Matured in Hogshead]

-Esmond

Tasted at The Elysian Bar, Melbourne.