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I could be completely wrong here, and please correct me if that is the case, but Auchentoshan does not seem to get a lot of love. Personally I have only tried one other whisky from them which was the Auchentoshan American Oak and while I found it quite interesting it is fair to say it did not blow me away.
I would like to try more of their range though to get a better picture of them as a distillery and I decided to start at the top with this 21 year old which is distilled in pot stills and aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels.
About the Distillery
So what do I know about Auchentoshan, apart from the fact they have one of those daunting looking Scotch names that you wouldn’t want to try and order if you didn’t know how to pronounce it beforehand! Well the Auchentoshan distillery is in Dalmuir, Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. They have been around since the 1800’s and are fairly unique for practicing triple distillation which means they use a third copper pot still in the distillation process. This generally produces a sweeter whisky.
This distinctive lowland single malt whisky is distilled in Dumbartonshire on the Auchebtoshan estate. The distillery was designed and built in 1823 by an engineer from Greenock whose name Thorne.
During the Second World War, the distillery was bombed by the Luftwaffe, who were targeting the River Clyde with its shipyards. As a result, whiskey production was halted.
One of the things that sets Auchentoshan single malt whiskey apart from its rivals is the fact that it is produced using a triple distillation method. The normal way many distilleries make their single malt is to distill the fermented mash in two copper stills.
Auchentoshan uses a third still, known as an “intermediary still,” to give the whiskey a strength of 81% ABV or 162 proof. This third distillation imparts the whiskey with a characteristically sweeter and more delicate flavour than many other single malts. Depending on the final product, the whiskey is matured in ex-bourbon, Sherry, or French wine barrels.
Now you are an expert in the Auchentoshan distillery… let’s get down to the review:
Whisky Info
On the bottle:
“Triple distilled and aged perfectly for over twenty-one years in American bourbon and Spanish sherry casks. This creates a refined Lowland Single Malt Whisky, ripe with gooseberries, sweet creamy vanilla, a hint of oak, warm honey, and the signature smooth, delicate, Auchentoshan taste.”
Distiller: Auchentoshan
Region: Lowlands
ABV: 43%
Proof: 86
Age: 21 Years
Website: https://www.auchentoshan.com/whiskies/21-year-old-single-malt-scotch-whisky
Tasting Notes
Nose:
Honeycomb, citrus, lemons, vanilla, chocolate, jam roly-poly, tobacco and strawberry laces. Complex with lots of good aromas.
Taste:
Dry figs, almonds, some bitter chocolate, mashed bananas, sweet malt, honey, the tiniest hint of peat. Some oak. It’s also nice and complex on the palate.
Finish:
Light and floral, honey, oak, baking spice. Quite long.
Summary
A very pleasant and enjoyable dram with lots of depth and a great flavour profile, I really like this whisky. It also has good character with some unusual flavours and aromas making an appearance.
You can tell this is an older whisky it feels rounded and considered. I would advise getting a bottle for sure.