Auchentoshan 18 Year Old

For the last couple of weeks I have been drinking Caol Ila 15 unpeated (61.5%) blended with Ardbeg An Oa (45%). This is an increbdible dram.
To say that the Auchentoshan 18 is a "change" is a huge understatement.
It is clear that this is triple-distilled from the first sip. It is soft in the mouth with not a hint of that bitterness one finds in std Scottish whisky. The legs are amazing. But I have to say that it lacks flavour. I suspect they use 2nd, 3rd or even 4rd-fill casks because there is very little body to this for an 18 year old. It tastes thin. However I think the initial malting and distillation were very good. It is clean, soft and unchallenging. Unfortunately, it does not have what it takes to justify such a high price tag.
One reviewer described this as "polite". I agree.
In fact I would describe this as the whisky equivalent of "witty small talk." Pleasant, clever even, but ultimately unsatisfying. I poured a std measure into a Glencairn and left it for an hour beside and open window. I think it needs a lot of time to open up and I will probably drink the top 1/3 and leave it for a few weeks. I will update this review then.
addendum:- I added a touch of Caol Ila 15 to this and it worked well. Both the salinity of the Islay and the sweetness of the Lowland were enhanced. The Caol Ila was most prevalent at the start of the tasting but the finish was incredibly sweet and longer-lasting than Auchentoshan on its own.

Lowland single malts are the unsung heroes of the whisky world. I believe they should have a strong place in a good cellar. I believe that their smoothness and easy-drinking nature should be seen in context and enjoyed. But I also believe that with drams like Auchentoshan 18 year old, many drinkers will buy once and move on quickly.

I sincerely hope that Francis Conlon reads this.

20th November 2022

Friends of mine treated me to a bottle of Auchentoshan 18 for my 50th & i absolutely love it !!
As with all my single malts i leave it in the glass for around 25 mins before drinking (Neat) & i find this malt opens up a treat.
It's smooth, well made & i get vanilla sweetness, fresh woody spice, a citrus note & something resembling pipe tobacco (Not peat)
I'd probably never purchased this myself as i usually stick to 12's like Bunna & Aberfeldy.
My other 50th treat bottle is Glendronach 21 & the Auchentoshan 18 gives me a fantastic duo of quality aged drams to enjoy.

22nd October 2019

I'm truly shocked at the negative reviews of this whisky. I've tried quite a few different brands of whisky but admit I'm not a connoisseur. I did know what I like and what I don't. I'm not big into heavy peated scotches. I like my scotch smooth with some backbone. 4 of us visited the distillery in September 2019 and all of us loved the 18. To each their own. I'll decibe definitely be purchasing another bottle.

Slainte mhath

5th October 2019

Love it this is a really nice Scotch. share this with friends.

13th January 2019

Its a good whisky, but not my favourite from Auchentoshan, I personally think the three wood is better and half the price. I can see why its described as zesty, if its put your feet up and slowly enjoy a whisky then three wood for me, if its with company then this is fine.

14th December 2018

Fairly disappointed - first time really when spending lots of $ on a special occasion whisky- my other experiences with Auchentoshan were positive so I am quite surprised.
Odd overtones- “green tea” IMHO doesn’t belong in a fine Scotch whiskey.

24th July 2018

cant compete with other 18 year olds

2nd January 2018

Got a sample. Enjoyable, honeyed, floral, toffee- the usual suspects. BUT not much length or character. The taste sensation is brief, with the 'hit' quickly fading, which i didn't expect. So a bit polite (as someone else said) and underpowered for me.

22nd December 2017

I'm not a big fan of peat, and although this shouldn't have any peat, it's there. Not a lot, but it's there. I much prefer the 21 and 12 with no detectable peat.

25th July 2016

We all have different tastes. I am not a big "smoke head". I like a little but I prefer a Bunnahabhain or a Ledaig to the full-on Laphroaig. On the other hand, whilst I respect the Irish tradition of triple distillation, sometimes I think it robs a whisky of character.

I had put off trying the Auchentoshan because of mixed reviews but then I spotted a miniature of the 18 so I put my toe in the water and enjoyed it. I like Glenkinchie 15. It is very civilised, like Edinburgh. This seemed a step up in terms of quality with big chewy mouth-feel, lots of toffee and more spice than I expected. So I took the plunge and bought a whole bottle.

My first reaction is one of slight disappointment. I agree that there is a hint of old walking sock. I can't make up my mind whether that's comforting or disturbing. The vanilla/fudge/toffee/honey/malt is definitely the dominant flavour and there are days when that is exactly what I want. There are moments though when it reminds me of the Penderyn Aur Cymru and I am not even sure if that should be called whisky.

I'll keep it and enjoy it from time to time but I doubt I'll buy another.

22nd December 2015