Showing posts with label Creative Whisky Company. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creative Whisky Company. Show all posts

Auchentoshan 1998 CWC Review


“Another One Bites The Dust”

Country: Scotland
Region: Lowlands 
Brand: Auchentoshan 1998 (Creative Whisky Company - The Exclusive Malts)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 13 Years
ABV: 56,5 %

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: The Auchentoshan 1998 is a Single Malt of course but at first I get an Aroma that is similar to a Single Grain Whisky. After a while the Nose opens up and Fruity and Flowery notes pop up. I'm quite sure this Spirit matured in an Ex-Bourbon Cask. I find Barley and Cereals in general, Butterkekse, Straw, Oak, Grass, Vanilla, Dusty Road, Perfumed Soap, Nectarine, Pineapple, Lemon and a sprinkle of Cinnamon. The Nose is a bit timid. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Taste: Orchard Fruit, Perfumed Soap, Toffee, light Vanilla, Straw, Grass, Grain, Dried Herbs, light Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Oak and Lemon. The ABV seems to be a bit high for this Spirit.

Finish: Middle-Long and Edgy with Dried Herbs, Oak, Toffee, Pepper, Ginger Powder and a hint of Varnish.  

I added a few drops of Water and on the Nose I get some Peach and extra Barley. Palate and Finish do not benefit from the added Water 

Rating: 80.5  

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20


General Remarks: The Auchentoshan 1998 CWC I'm tasting today was distilled on the 2nd of December 1998 and matured in Cask # 102387. This Single Cask Malt was bottled at Cask Strength in 2012 by Indie Bottler CWC (The Creative Whisky Company) in their Exclusive Malts series. It is Uncoloured and not Chill- Filtered. It sells at around 70 US Dollars (July 2015). 

The Auchentoshan distillery was founded in 1823 and is located in Dalmuir, close to Glasgow. It exchanged hands a couple of times before being bought by Morrison (Bowmore) in 1984. Morrison of course was bought by Suntory from Japan in 1994. From then on the distillery has become very popular again. It's one of the few remaining Lowland distilleries and it's the only Scottish one that maintains triple distillation.

The Creative Whisky Company was founded in 2005 by David Kirk, a whisky connoisseur and writer. CWC specialises in Scottish Single Cask Malt Whiskies. All casks are selected by David himself. The expressions in the Exclusive Malt series are all bottled at Cask Strength. Every year only around 20 casks are selected to become an Exclusive Malt.  

Drinking Experience Neat: Average

Conclusion: Auchentoshan is not one of my favourite distilleries so far. And this 1998 CWC bottling does nothing to change my mind. The Nose is okay with Fruits, Cereals and Perfume but Palate and Finish don't impress me at all with lots of Herbs and Spicy Oak and a hint of Varnish. The Alcohol is very present everywhere. This spirit would probably benefit from a slightly lower ABV. A lot of people like this Distillery so perhaps the problem lies with me. But I would not dream of spending 70 US Dollars or so on a Malt like this. Just let me know any Auchentoshan expressions you would recommend!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 20, 2015