Auchentoshan 18 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Auchentoshan

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Lowlands

Age: 18 Years

Alcohol: 43%

Date: 20/08/2012

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: A rich nose with mature Fruit, Honey and Oak to start with. Then I get impressions of Rum soaked Cake, (over)-ripe Bananas, Vanilla, Malt, English Orange Marmalade and Caramel. Hints of Green Tea and Grass. I also get a hint of Sherry but that should be impossible given the fact that the 18 Years is matured in American Oak Barrels. But what can I do! I smelled the empty glass the next morning and was welcomed by Buttered Toast with Orange Marmalade. Very nice!

Taste: Despite the 43%, the delivery is still a touch too watery. This should be bottled at (at least) 46% in my opinion. On the Palate this dram is Sweet and quite Dry at the same time. Sweet Barley, Honey, Oak and Spices (Ginger and Nutmeg). A Touch of Lemon -and Orange Peel.

Finish: Middle-Long and very Dry with Oak, slightly bitter Almonds, Dried Fruits and a little Spice and Honey.

I added a few drops of water. The Nose does not change a lot although I get some more Malt and also some Pear. On the Palate, the Fruity tones become even more present. The Finish however gets a bit too bitter in my opinion. I suspect that some Sulphur is the cause of this. You can experiment with a couple of drops if you like but I prefer this dram straight.

Rating:  82  

Nose:  22 - Taste: 20.5 – Finish: 19.5– Overall: 20

General Remarks: Auchentoshan is the only remaining permanently triple-distilled Scottish whisky. The Distillery, that is located close to the city of Glasgow, was licensed in 1823 and is owned since 1984 by Morrison Bowmore that in turn was acquired by the Japanese Suntory Group in 1994. Under the new management the brand has made a huge turn-around in popularity. Auchentoshan is the Gaelic word for Corner of the Field by the way.

Conclusion: Let me start by saying that I’m not (yet) a huge fan of the Auchentoshans I’ve tasted so far (12 Y and Three Wood). And I’m struggling a bit with the 18 years as well. Let’s start with the good part. I really enjoyed the Nose. I’ve enjoyed at least half an hour Nosing each time I tasted this dram. And I even more liked smelling the empty glass the next day. Quite a treat if you like Buttered Toast with Orange Marmalade. (And I do!). But the Palate is too heavy on Sweet Stuff and I can’t find a good balance in this Department. It tastes a bit tired although I’m not sure you can apply this term to a whisky. But I hope you understand what I’m trying to say here. And the Finish is too dry for my taste. This is quite an expensive dram at around US$ 90 and I don’t think it’s worth that kind of money. Although I smile when I recall the smell of my empty glass the following day!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Jan van den Ende                                                               August 2012