Scotland, Lowlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

Advertisers on this page have been carefully selected. (see list)
Texte Français

Auchentoshan

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Auchentoshan distillerie

Auchentoshan Distillery
Dalmuir
Dumbartonshire G81 4SG
+44 1389 878 561
Owner: Morrisson Bowmore Distillers Ltd.
Creation date: 1800

Photos

The distillery has probably been founded round 1825 by Irish refugees trying to escape to the famine in their county. May be this could explain the manufacturing process based on triple distillation, like in Ireland.
First alteration works took place in 1875.
The Auchentoshan distillery is situated near Glasgow, near the Kilpatrick mount. The distillery was partially destroyed in march 1940 during a german air raid. The reason of this bombing was that the war ships were built in the near Glasgow area. After this bombing, the burning whisky poured out in the river Clyde.
The distillery was not rebuild until 1948.
In 1969, Auchenstoshan was bought by the Cairn Company, who modernised the distillery.
Extended in 1974, Auchentoshan became property of the Morrison Bowmore group in 1984. Morrison is a part of the japanese concern Suntory.
Auchentoshan is one of the last active distilleries in the Lowlands. A great part of its production is dedicated to blenders. The malt is also used in the Rob Roy blend, marketed by the company itself.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

Auchentoshan
sample
O.B. 10 years 17
Select 16 1/2
Triple Wood 17
Dun Eideann Dun Eideann 1996, Oloroso 17
Jean Boyer Best casks of Scotland 1995 18
See Help 0 - 40 € 40 - 80 € 80 - 120 € 120 - 160 € 160 - 200 € 200 - 240 € 240 - 280 € > 280 €
 Arran: official bottlings
 

Auchentoshan Select
Age
 10 years
Alcohol
 40°
Particularity
 triple distillation
Bottler
 official
=25 euros< 25 euros
 auchentoshan 10
 

The colour is gold. The nose is simple and very floral and evokes violet, lavender, liquorice and drop.
The palate is sweet and strongly marked by the violet with a finish of average length.
The very precise violet fragrance is surprising, and very pleasant. However it gives an impression to be artificial.

(la Maison du Whisky)

 The smell is relatively neutral, but not unpleasant. A certain lack of complexity. The typical hints of a Lowland, like freshness and cut grass are not present in this single malt. May be due to triple distillation...? The pleasant taste leaves an feeling of incompleteness. The rather long finish is pleasant too. A good whisky, but without the complexity which would make it a great whisky.

A rather discrete and pleasant nose announces a pleasant taste. The palate is discrete too, with some malt hints, mixed with a rather neutral taste which is difficult to describe (flower taste?), followed by a pleasant finish, which seemed to me to be shorter than during the first tasting. However, the rating and the conclusion are not amended: a good whisky.

During the third tasting, a certain lack at diversity in the taste and a lack at surprise were predominant. A rather disappointing whisky, unless its evident qualities.

The nose is rather discrete and floral. In the palate, this whisky is sweet and relatively simple, without complexity and the nose is confirmed. The finish is rather short.
  Back to summary table

Auchentoshan 10 years

Age
 10 years
Alcohol
 43°
Particularity
 triple distillation
Bottler
 official
=25 euros< 25 euros
Auchentoshan 10 ans
This bottling seems to be the successor ot the "Select" edition, bottled at 43°
A nose with some farm hints, wet hay, a touch of peat and some discrete smoke, salted and iodine hints, some oak aromas, announcing some interesting complexity. The mouth is not as interesting than the nose was, quite linear with a woody dominance and some acid touches. No fault and no surprise. Just pleasant. The pleasure seems to increase again with the finish, quite long with some bitter retro-olfaction effects and a touch of liquorice.
Back to summary table
 
 

Auchentoshan Three Wood
Age
 10 years
Alcohol
 43°
Particularities
 Triple Distillation, triple Maturation
Casks
 Bourbon, Sherry Oloroso et Sherry Pedro Jimenez
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 Auchentoshan Three wood
 Aging happened in three different casks: Bourbon, Sherry Oloroso and Pedro Jimenez.
The colour is gold with greenish glints. The nose evokes orange zest, apricot, marshmallow.
The malt is perfumed with hints of coconut, lemon-grass and fresh leather.
The finish is oily, with some nice dry hints.
A nice interaction of smells and tastes, however the whisky is really difficult to bring out, due to all the aromas coming from the ageing in different casks.
 The nose reveals a complex whole of delicate and pleasant smells. This whisky is clearly more complex than other Lowland malts. The typical freshness of whiskies of this area is not really present. On the other hand, the taste buds are pleasantly delighted by all the nuances, however sometimes vague. A long peppery finish crowns this exceptional malt, even if not really representative of the origin area.

An unusual smell for a single malt. Far away from the freshness Lowlands used us to, this whisky smells like malt, but with some clear leather hints, and may be some touches of dried fruits. In the palate, sherry hints on a malted background. A rather long finish, with a hint of acidity, but coming back soon on the malt. An interesting whisky, but without complexity and surprise.

The nose reveals clearly the presence of sherry, with some meaty hints and peppery notes. A nice complexity. In the palate, first a malty smoothness which developes quickly on more acid notes, sometimes not really pleasant, somethiing like gastic acid... with however nice spicy notes which overule this unpleasant feeling, and at the end, some smoke. The finish is long and pleasant, with both malty sweetness and nutty bitterness.
  Back to summary table
Auchentoshan: echantillons

Auchentoshan
Best Casks of Scotland
1995
Age
 10 years
Alcohol
 43°
Bottler
 Jean Boyer
A typical Lowlands whisky nose, with the traditional discretion and the usual hints of cut grass, hay and ripe fruits (pear, peach), the whole expressing a great fresness. In the palate, everything just confirms the first nose. This is a whisky with a great freshness, keeping however lots of character. The finish is pleasant and lingering, and nice malty notes mix discreetly with the flavours described above, and after a while, some mentholated notes appear, before developing on slightly spicy ones.
Back to summary table

Auchentoshan
1996 Oloroso

Age
 10 years
Alcohol
 42°
Bottler
 Dun Eideann
The nose is marked by yeast smells hiding hints of cut grass and a smooth mix of malt and citrus fruit. In the palate, a nice mix of sensations, even if it remains on a rather limited palette. Some acidity, some ripe fruit, some bitterness. The finish is first pleasantly bitter (walnut) and rather long. Remains going from walnut to fruit and back again. A very interesting bottle.
Back to summary table

Auchentoshan
12 years old

Age
 12 years
Alcohol
 43°
Bottler

Official
Auchentoshan 12

 

Comment by Henrik Johansson

This is quite an unusual bottling of Auchentoshan as I understand it. A friend of mine picked it up in a duty free shop on a Sweden-Finland cruize ship. I've only tasted the 10 y.o. before, which I wasn't too impressed with. As I recal, it was quite bland and uninteresting. This one however is a totally different story altogether. Apperance: Surprisingly dark Copper. Nose: Straight nose is round and full. Appetizing. Cola like scents with a wiff of liquorice. Balanced saltyness and sweetness. Earthy scents blend with pear-mints. Reduced nose lends some more citric hints. Quite complex and balanced aromas. Cereal, estery, woody, winey and feinty hints mix in a very interesting nose. Body: Medium light Palate: Some liquorice carries over, otherwi! se pretty fruity and winey. A little bran with almonds. The finish is long and sweet. Very pleasant dram alltogether.

Back to summary table

Lowlands

There are only three active distilleries left in the Lowlands. This area was during the 18th and 19th century the main producer of whisky. This area has seen the birth of the industrail production of whisky.

<< previous distillery << >> next distillery >>

Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Lowlands area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

40 - 4