The name Auchentoshan is from the Gaelic “Achadh an Oisein” and it translates as “the field of the corner”. The distillery is also sometimes known as the “Glasgow’s Malt Whisky” due to its close proximity to Glasgow. Auchentoshan is located at the foot of the Kilpatrick hills on the outskirts of Clydebank in West Dunbartonshire near the Erskine Bridge.
The Auchentoshan distillery is one of the very few remaining active Lowland distilleries. Furthermore, which is also unusual for a Scottish distillery, Auchentoshan practices triple distillation instead of the usual double distillation technique.
Here endth the lesson, now on to the whiskies.
Whisky: Auchentoshan American Oak, 43% ABV
Region: Lowland, Scotland
Style: Single Malt
Age: NAS
This whisky is triple distilled and matured solely in first fill American bourbon casks.
Colour: Rich gold with lovely thick legs.
Nose: Overall is sweet, with coconut oil, citrus fruits, vanilla, some warm winter spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) and a lovely burnt toffee pudding character. Nose is clean, soft and lovely without being overpowering.
Palate: Light and refreshing, sweet and warm spiciness with more of the citrus fruits and vanilla coming through to the palate. There is also a nice toffee sweetness and slight creaminess to it. Palate is soft, smooth and very easy drinking.
Finish: Medium with warm spicy sweetness throughout and toffee pudding sweetness at end.
Overall: a pretty much well-made NAS Lowland whisky that is not overly complex and would be a great entry way to introduce a person to whisky, especially those that prefer a sweeter and smother mouth taste and feel.
My Score: 79
Whisky: Auchentoshan 12yo, 43% ABV
Region: Lowland, Scotland
Style: Single Malt
Age: 12 years
This whisky is also triple distilled, then matured for over twelve years in a mix of Olorosso sherry and bourbon casks.
Colour: Rich deep gold with long slow thick legs.
Nose: Initially sweet, but not a strong sweetness, before the aromas of Christmas cake, brandy tart, sultana or date loaf, some citrus fruits and warm sweet winter spices (cinnamon) infiltrate your olfaction receptors.
Palate: Warm winter spices, nuttiness (almonds and hazelnuts), grassiness, more baked brandy pudding and Christmas cake again. Also following from the nose are more of those lovely sweet spicy notes and citrus fruit flavours again.
Finish: Medium to long and warming while still being light and with sweet spices to end.
Overall: again a well-made whisky from the Lowland region and this time with an age statement. I like the elements that the sherry casks brought to this whisky to make it, in my opinion a more layered and complex lowland dram.
My Score: 80
Whisky: Auchentoshan Three Wood, 43% ABV
Region: Lowland, Scotland
Style: Single Malt
Age: NAS
This Auchentoshan whisky has been matured in three different cask types. It first spent an initial ten odd years in American Bourbon casks before being transferred to Spanish Oloroso Sherry casks (for around a year) and ended its maturation in Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks (also around a year).
Colour: Rich tawny to mahogany with many long and lovely thick slow legs.
Nose: Rich dried and brandied fruits (mix of dark and citrus fruits), pecan nut slice, winter spices (predominately ginger), dark chocolate, baked dessert and an almost burnt caramel character. There are also some earthy and grassy notes faintly in the background.
Palate: Soft and clean but with strong sweet upfront winter spices (cinnamon and ginger) and more of the rich fruits (more citrus this time), almonds and Christmas cake coming though as well. Quite a mouth and tongue coating mouthfeel.
Finish: Very long, smooth and warm with sweet dried fruits.
Overall: A rich and well-made whisky that has some added complexity and flavours over the previous two (in my opinion) and that continues to develop over time in the glass.
My Score: 82
The Smoky Dram 