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Winner of 3 awards
Auchentoshan
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Launched in 2008, this 18 year old bottling of triple distilled, Lowland single malt whisky boasts a superb richness for a core-range bottling and was aged in American oak casks.
Winner of 3 awards
I think I’d sum this up by saying that I was delighted to receive this as a gift and I thoroughly enjoyed every last drop. Would I buy it for my own personal consumption ahead of other similarly priced sherried whiskies? Maybe not.
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.
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.
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
Love it this is a really nice Scotch. share this with friends.
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