Review 157
5/2/13
Auchentoshan
10 Yr: 40% abv
Background: Auchentoshan has been discussed
before in a review of their Triple Wood, so there should be some background to
this distillery. But in case you need a refresher, this is a lowland distillery
that uses triple distillation, a technique found more commonly in Irish Whiskey
production. This particular whisky is nothing special. The 10 year bottling is
a standard bottling that we bought as our first lowland whisky purchase. In
Michigan, you can grab it for about $30 a bottle if you can find it. The
question is, should you?
Straight
Nose: The
nose starts off with an interesting aroma of mild malted barley, usurped in
power by slightly vegetal notes and moderate spiciness. This spiciness can be
related to an almost burnt peppercorn smell, the kind you might find on a
peppered steak that’s been cooked too hot. Fortunately, this doesn’t over-play
the soft fruit notes of pear and some grape. Oddly, though, there is some burnt
wood smell that just doesn’t seem to relent when nosing the Scotch. One could
also cite the experience of slight dill pickle smell emerging through the
layers, although not in a horribly prominent fashion.
Arrival: The
arrival is sweet, in a good way. There is some candied lemon, citrus-like
flavor that comes about with some honey and sugary malt right in the beginning.
In reality, this isn’t a complex arrival, with a slight lime and tart apple
presence, but not much else there.
Body: This whisky starts to dull with the taste of
over-used casks, burnt wood, and even some burnt tobacco notes right in the
body. The body does not last long, and
with a harsh, bone-dry grain flavor that seems uneventful and disappointing at
best, it is best just to move on.
Finish: There
is some stewed apple in the finish here, with slight malt and citrus notes as
well. Unfortunately, this is overshadowed by the same burnt characteristics
that the body contains. This is just a very disappointing finish.
With Water
Nose: The
nose, after adding a teaspoon of water, still comes off as dusty, with strained
notes of malt and slight hints of fruits, although the vegetal quality has
left. It is not by any means an enjoyable or complex experience.
Arrival: With
small pieces of vanilla and strawberry coming through, the arrival has brought
about some new unique notes, but is unfortunately still not complex enough.
Body: The
body doesn’t change much, although water does seem to help remove some of the
less favorable tasting notes.
Finish: The
finish remains pretty well the same with the addition of water.
Final Comments: This Scotch was the first $30 single malt
we’ve experimented with, and we were honestly not impressed. The flavors
weren’t there, and the ones that were felt strained and unpleasant. This isn’t
a knock on Auchentoshan, either. They make some fantastic bottlings, but this
was not one of them.
Why you’d buy it: You
want a single malt on a budget.
Why you wouldn’t: You’ve
tasted it before.
Score: 6.0/10
