Auchentoshan 18 Year Old is our Whisky of the Week, because you voted for it. Let’s have a taste!
Our Whisky of the Week series continues. Each week you vote for a whisky from three choices and then we film a little tasting video and tell you a bit more about it on the blog. Which is what this is. Be sure to keep an eye on our Instagram Stories so that you can vote for what we taste next.
This week we’re talking Auchentoshan 18 Year Old, a well-aged Lowland Scotch whisky from a distillery famed for triple distillation.
The three stills at Auchentoshan
All about Auchentoshan
We actually explained what triple distillation is last week for St. Patrick’s Day because it’s so often associated with Ireland, but Auchentoshan (pronounced ‘OKKen-TOSHan’) is one of the exceptions to the rule. Funnily enough, the distillery was founded by Irish refugees in 1823 on the outskirts of Glasgow.
The process of making Auchentoshan whisky begins with unpeated malted optic barley that is gently kilned and fed into a lauter tun at 63.5°C. This produces fresh-tasting, clear wort which undergoes a short fermentation (around 50 hours) to give Auchentoshan a cereal note. As for distillation, no other Scottish distillery insists on triple distilling every drop, which occurs in three stem coil-heated stills which have external shell and tube condensers. The three distillations produce a light, but high-strength spirit that sits around 81% ABV.
This higher strength means maturation has to be very carefully measured as oak can overpower the more subtle flavours. Auchentoshan uses bourbon and sherry most commonly but other varieties like red wine casks have been used too. Typically from Auchentoshan, you can expect an elegant, light whisky with lots of citrus, nutty character as well as delicate spice and creamy toffees, and vanilla. All of which you’ll taste in the delicious Auchentoshan 18 Year Old.
Adam tastes Auchentoshan 18 Year Old
Nose: Rife with toasty oak, toasted almonds, and marmalade. There’s some creamy vanilla and chocolate notes underneath too.
Palate: It’s a chewy, rich palate with more vanilla and nuts, with zesty citrus, caramel, and crystallised ginger.
Finish: A malty finish, with honey, dried fruit, and few tobacco leaves.
Auchentoshan 18 Year Old is available from Master of Malt.
