Auchentoshan
- OWNER: BEAM SUNTORY
- FOUNDED: 1817
- REGION: LOWLANDS
- PRONUNCIATION: OAK-en-TOASH-en
Where once there were dozens of Lowland malt distilleries producing light, aromatic whiskies, today there are just a handful, with Auchentoshan by far the largest and best known—though at just 1.75 million liters per year of output, it’s not in the same league as some of the larger Speyside producers. At its founding, the distillery was known as Duntocher, but changed its name to Auchentoshan in 1834. It passed through many hands before, in 1984, landing in the palms of Morrison Bowmore, which was bought by Suntory ten years later. Auchentoshan stays true to the Lowlands style, with short fermentation times and triple-distillation to give its whiskies a light, grainy character.
12 Years Old
Auchentoshan’s entry-level whisky, aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
- PRICE $ · RATING
- AGE 12 years old
- ALC/VOL 40%
- NOSE Like a hike in the woods, if those woods also contained toasted coconut, lemon crème brûlée, and ginger; water brings out a buttery fig note.
- PALATE Vanilla, lemon cream, raw honey, toasted nuts, and a fruity mid-palate; water brings forward a juicy roundness. The finish has a big burn for an 80 proofer; it’s tannic and slightly peppery.
- GENERAL Like many Auchentoshans, the nose oversells the palate. It’s tasty, but the finish comes much too fast.
Auchentoshan
American Oak
Introduced in 2014 as a replacement to Auchentoshan Classic. Aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
- PRICE $ · RATING
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 40%
- NOSE Apple juice, grain, vanilla, oak, and citrus; water calls forward peach tea, ginger, blanched almonds, and orange zest.
- PALATE A thin mouthfeel, full of grain, almonds, orange zest, and pepper at mid-palate; water adds vanilla and a bit more spice. The finish is peppery and bitter—think wormwood.
- GENERAL A clash between grain and wood notes; it’s too young, and the wood seems amped up to cover for it. The result is bitter and spicy, but not particularly tasty.
Three Wood
Aged ten years in ex-bourbon barrels, then a year each in oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks.
- PRICE $$ · RATING
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 43%
- NOSE A sherry bomb, with cherry syrup, oranges, balsamic vinegar, fruit punch, and a generally floral aroma; water amps up the juicy notes.
- PALATE Cherry cough syrup, ginger, candied orange peel; water makes it rounder and deeper. It’s sweet right to the end, where it’s replaced by ginger and bitter herbs.
- GENERAL A new turn from Auchentoshan’s usual Lowland lightness; the sherry notes on the nose intrigue with their depth and breadth. But the palate just can’t keep up.
Auchentoshan
Valinch 2012
An annual release that varies in proof year to year, Valinch (named for the tool used to pull whisky samples from a barrel) is a cask-strength version of the classic Auchentoshan, aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
- PRICE $$ · RATING
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 57.2%
- NOSE Roasted vegetables, peach schnapps, aromatic wood, rye bread, Lemon Pledge; water brings out more of the vegetal notes.
- PALATE A thin-medium mouthfeel, with a palate that starts with grain-forward notes, then gets hotter until it reveals strong wood and metallic notes, along with burnt sugar. Water takes down the proof, but doesn’t do much for the flavor. The finish is hot and spicy.
- GENERAL Hot and sharp, it lacks any of the rich vanilla notes one would expect from something aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
Virgin Oak BATCH II
A regular but limited-edition release. Like most American whiskeys, it is aged in new (i.e., unused) American oak barrels.
- PRICE $$$ · RATING
- AGE 12 years old
- ALC/VOL 46%
- NOSE Vanilla, swimming pool, lilies, spicy pear, butterscotch, sawdust, cool ash, and a whiff of dark fruit; water doesn’t do much.
- PALATE Young and grainy, like a small-barrel bourbon—there’s a gamey, sweaty quality, like rancio, as well as cloves, honey, butterscotch, and marshmallow sweetness. The finish is long, with preserved fruits, almonds, and bitters.
- GENERAL Auchentoshan gets credit for this risky innovation. The nose is intriguing, but the oak dominates the palate, and the malt can’t quite stand up.
Auchentoshan
18 Years Old
Auchentoshan’s oldest expression in its core range, aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
- PRICE $$$ · RATING
- AGE 18 years old
- ALC/VOL 43%
- NOSE Toasted vanilla bean, coconut, peanut brittle, sweet sherry, ginger, and pine resin; water makes it oily and nutty.
- PALATE Simple syrup, white pepper, spicy honey, and oak bitterness; with water you get a hint of banana bread. The finish is slightly tannic and minty.
- GENERAL Big on the nose, short on the tongue. Solid all around, but a bit too tannic toward the finish.
21 Years Old
Aged in second-fill sherry casks.
- PRICE $$$$ · RATING
- AGE 21 years old
- ALC/VOL 43%
- NOSE Woodsy, juicy, and spicy—think green chilies and green peppers—along with vanilla, pineapple, new leather, and sherry; water brings out a bit of boozy, heathery funk.
- PALATE Sugary up front, then unfolds with pepper, fish skins, orange peel, and baking chocolate; water doesn’t do much. The finish is brief, with a white pepper pop.
- GENERAL A perfect example of a Lowland malt, with a surprising spring in its step for a twenty-one year old. The sherry is present but not overwhelming.