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

Distillery description Tasting notes

The distillery

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 Arran: official bottlings
 

Auchentoshan

Select
Age
 10 years
Alcohol percentage
 40,0 %
Bottler
 Official
Particularity
 (triple distillation)
=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 77/100
 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.
79/100
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.
79/100
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.
74/100
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.
74/100
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Auchentoshan

10 years
Age
 10 years
Alcohol percentage
 43,0 %
Bottler
 Official
Particularity
 (driple distillation)
=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 77/100
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.
79/100

Comment by
Henrik Johansson

Apperance: Neat yellow gold, clear Nose: Light nose. Slightly winey, spicy, mossy and citric with some strokes of ethyl alcohol and acetone. Hints of autumn leaves and sweet liqourice like in the 12 y.o. only less pronounced than my recollection of that one. It's fresh and clean but sort of light and neutral, a petite aroma. Body: Light Palate: Semi-sweet, malty and fresh, a very pleasant and drinkable whisky. Very light to begin with, the middle intensifies and the finish is surprisingly long with some chocolate and spicy overtones. It's a nice dram, but the lack of depth and personality is regrettable. I would love to try a cask strength, non chill-filtered version.

 74/100

 

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Auchentoshan

Triple Wood
Age
 10 years
Alcohol percentage
 43,0 %
Bottler
 Official
Cask
 Bourbon, Sherry Oloroso, Sherry Pedro Jimenez
Particularity
 (triple distillation)
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 81/100
 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.
84/100
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.
74/100
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.
79/100
The nose is clearly marked by sherry and interesting hints of meat juice and plum jam.
In the palate, sherry remains quite present and mixes very well with ripe fruit notes. Nicely balanced, fruity with some chocolate hints. Nice complexity, and surprisingly no wood taste at all, even if one could expect some due to the impression of old sherry matured whisky suggested by the nose.
The finish is refined and smooth and both fruity and sherryish hints remain for a while.
84/100

Comment by
Henrik Johansson

Date of tasting: 11/11 2008 Apperance: Polished mahogany Nose: Astonishingly prickly neat (astonishing because of the low ABV and expected sherry influence) which makes it difficult to appreciate it. Quite sulphury and woody with burnt rubber, vomit, digestive bisquits and a feint sandalwood hint. Below that, some more sherry influence like winey notes- oloroso I think, dried fruits and chocolate, then the alcohol takes charge again. Diluted dram is slightly fresher with some more fruity and fragrant elements. Some vanilla, candied oranges and a wiff of sweet liqourice. Body: Medium Palate: Sweetish but drying towards the finish. Quite pleasant, reasonably full bodied with a decent length. Some woody bitterness towards the end. The flavour is a bit more mellow then the aroma, but not more inspiring. Good, but not like a well sherried Speysider.

 83/100
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Auchentoshan: echantillons

Auchentoshan

Best casks of Scotland 1995
Collection
 Best casks of Scotland
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 43,0 %
Bottler
 Jean Boyer
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 84/100
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.
84/100
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Auchentoshan

Best Casks of Scotland 1999
Collection
 Best casks of Scotland
Age
 11 years
Alcohol percentage
 43 %
Bottler
 Jean Boyer
=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 84/100
Color: White wine
A nose of intense spicy freshness. Frank notes of citrus, touches of mint, and some fruity aromas give this nose a very pleasantly complex character.
A fresh palate as well. The citrus notes of the nose are present initially. Nice presence of fruit and spices as well. Discrete touches of nuts. Nice complexity, and despite the slight bitterness, it is clearly the freshness that dominates everything.
The finish is long and just as cool as were the mouth and nose, even if here also a slight bitterness is present.
A great surprise. Not particularly a fan of Auchentoshan, I find this remarkable bottle of exquisite.
84/100
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Auchentoshan

Dun Eideann 1996, Oloroso
Age
 10 years
Alcohol percentage
 42 %
Bottler
 Dun Eideann
Cask
 Sherry Oloroso
Bottle
 0 of 0 btls
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 79/100
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.
79/100
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Auchentoshan

1991, Chateau Montrose Wine finish
Age
 18 years
Alcohol percentage
 59,3 %
Bottler
 Malts of Scotland
Cask
 Chateau Montrose finish
Cask number
single cask 492
Dates
 Distil: 20/02/1991 Bottling: 03/2009
Bottle
 96 btls
Particularity
 cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 70/100
Auchentoshan 1991 mos
First nose impression is an unpleasant yeast odour which unfortunately does not disappear making room for nicer scents.
A strange taste of herring seems to dominate the rest of the tastes in the mouth. But after a while, I was force to note that there is no other taste... Very strange taste indeed. Certainly far away from those I appreciate. Is this due to the triple distillation in combination with this wine finish...?
Finish is of medium length and is not much better than the mouth was...
Bottle to avoid, in my opinion.
70/100
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Auchentoshan

12 years
Age
 12 years
Alcohol percentage
 43 %
Bottler
 Official
links & average quote
 90/100
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.

 90/100
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Auchentoshan

un chillfiltered collection 1992
Collection
 Un-chillfiltered Collection
Age
 9 years
Alcohol percentage
 46 %
Bottler
 Signatory
Cask
 Bourbon
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered
links & average quote
 74/100
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Auchentoshan

15 years, for La Maison du Whisky
Age
 15 years
Alcohol percentage
 60 %
Bottler
 Official
Dates
 Distil: 1989
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
links & average quote
 95/100
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Auchentoshan

12 years
Age
 12 years
Alcohol percentage
 46 %
Bottler
 Murray McDavid
Dates
 Distil: 1992 Bottling: 2004
links & average quote
 79/100
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Auchentoshan

Wine Cask Finish
Age
 17 years
Alcohol percentage
 51 %
Bottler
 Official
Cask
 Bourbon & Bordeaux
Bottle
 3600 btls
Particularity
 (8 years Bourbon then 9 years Bordeaux)
links & average quote
 BT2007 0/100
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Auchentoshan

18 years
Age
 18 years
Alcohol percentage
 43 %
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 81/100
Auchentoshan 18
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