Auchentoshan American Oak

Lime zest on the nose immediately after pouring, followed quickly by toffee, sweetly floral, just enough smoke to be unmistakable. Extremely smooth, barely even a tingle. Medium mouth feel, slightly oily in a pleasant way. Flavor is similar to the nose, smoke announces itself immediately but doesn't dominate. Rich bourbon-butter, caramel, slightly nutty, mild oats, rich barley. Slightly grassy, almost salty, pronounced but not assertive. Finishes fast, flavor lingers only slightly, very clean, even refreshing.

This is not what I would consider representative of scotch in general, certainly wouldn't be able to guess at a region if I tried it blind, but does justice to its roots. It's a new favorite for me, but even if it doesn't sound right for you, it's worth giving it a solid try just for its own sake. I contemplated giving four stars because if I had bought this expecting an "old reliable" it wouldn't have quite done the trick. Ultimately tho, I was too impressed with it as a whisky to downgrade it. Certainly won't be for everyone, but I think a lot of drinkers might surprise themselves with this one.

23rd March 2020

Wow what a pleasant surprise. A distinct bourbon taste, destined to become a favourite of mine - and a great price!!

4th March 2020

Orange and light marzipan on the nose. Creamy buttery butterscotch with a massive hit of grapefruit to finish. Nothing not to like.

26th February 2020

- not my most successful purchase. Pleasant enough on first contact but flavours seem contrived and not at all subtle. - as if someone has tipped some caramel and vanilla essence into the batch. I usually can’t wait for a second dram but this one languishes in the glass.

30th December 2019

Simply outstanding-im from South Africa I haven't got such a wide variety such as you people in Scotland that has so much choice now firstly understand our Rand is worth shit thanks to our highly intelligent leaders but what ever comes to our shores thats great and worth trying I'll give it a try and this has got a friend of mine hooked which I introduced him to -in all honesty this is top stuff

4th December 2019

Bought it as it was on offer. It has a bitter after taste and it lacks the usual smooth flavours of the single malts. A disappointment even at the price.

30th November 2019

"Wafts of grassy air and clotted cream."

Really? Oh come on.

26th November 2019

Not a great whisky, not expensive as a great whisky would either. For the price is interesting and tasty.

2nd November 2019

Smooth but sticky sweet!! ...NOT . This is a delicious whisky with none of the previous notes written by a poor review. Sorry but I know how personal whisky is to each palate, please try this delightful dram xx it's right between smokey and Speyside, for me it's perfect.

30th August 2019

I've tried a few Auchentoshans (3 wood being a personal favorite) so I had high hopes for this one. Sadly this whisky was just way too sweet for my tastes. On the nose is coconut, vanilla and some citrus fruit in the background, pleasant. The palate is very sweet with a heavy dose of vanilla and coconut - I didn't really get much, if any, of the citrus notes as the cloying sweetness over-powered any of the other subtle flavors this whisky contained. The finish was medium length, smooth, but very thin and the mouth feel isn't particularly pleasant. The big issue I have with this whisky is that despite the vanilla and coconut it is not actually a rich dram at all - as a result you get a sickly sweetness as opposed to a richer, more well-rounded dram. This is of course just my opinion, those who really love sweet drams may love this, but I think it lack the richness and the type of sweetness may even have a few with sweet tastes looking elsewhere.

In contrast to others I don't think the age of the whisky (as it is young) is noticeable as there is little, if any, bite or youthful sharpness. Perhaps the lack of refinement in the sweetness is a sign of its youth but it doesn't feel, in terms of aggression, particularly young.

3rd August 2019

Going to be a staple of my drinks cabinet

16th June 2019

I had a dram on a recent trip and thought it worth purchasing. But my first taste left me with a top of tongue a bit inflamed with a small allergic reaction. Uhm not sure ...

15th June 2019

This is a contemporary take isn't it, with younger whisky and cask added oakiness? Can't say I like it much. Auchentoshan 12 yr old is just dandy, but this isn't. Add a bit of water and the youth of the scotch makes it sag at the knees.

25th February 2019

A great Dram this Auchentoshan American Oak, a truly excellent triple distillation whiskey. Highly recommended.

19th January 2019

In all fairness, not a big Lowland fan. Decent Scotch for price. Some complex flavors, slightly rough finish.

27th December 2018

The amazing bourbon flavour knocked me back a bit on my first sip but is outstanding and the flavour albeit smooth lingers on the palate seemingly forever...My first taste of this magnificent scotch whisky and won't be my last...

23rd December 2018

For the price, magic. Prefer this to Tamnavulin for only £20 at Tesco. Smooth, satisfying and rewarding.

10th December 2018

First try of a whisky for myself, really nice taste and recommend to anyone wishing to try for first time.

Managed to get it for £13 so we’ll worth the money.

9th November 2018

My new staple, there’s always a bottle open in my house. A little piece of Christmas in a glass. Those flavours are fantastic.

28th September 2018

This hits a bit hard up front, a little hot if you like that. Seems to be a young malt. Much better with a dash of water to mellow it down. I prefer the Auchentoshan Three Wood.

13th September 2018

Excellent tipple. Decent depth, sufficient complexity to make the experience interesting and a degree of individuality.

19th July 2018

Drinkable, but nothing fantastic.
Sharp and young, though the oak definitely shows. I mostly get wood and bubblegum notes. Some usual scotch-y barley notes, but as much as in anything else. Auchentoshan is a very Irish-tasting scotch to begin with, and this isn't much different.
An acceptable bridge between Irish/Scotch whisky and American whiskey, but it fails to be a remarkable specimen of either.
Probably as far from Islay tasting as you can get.
Worth buying for the sake of intrigue, but nothing I would buy again.

14th June 2018

Maybe I have a bad bottle, but it tastes NOT good. Bitter. Disappointing.

8th June 2018

Subtle flavours which are easily washed out. Mostly sweet & smooth but the finish easily overpowers. Takes effort to appreciate.

6th April 2018

I received this ad a present at Christmas. I am not normally a malt whisky drinker but I found it a superb whisky and one I would definitely buy.

10th February 2018

I am not a whisky drinker normally, but this is so smooth and mellow, I am a convert.

31st December 2017

One day I like it, the next I do not. This is a very straight ahead whisky, without a lot of finese. Drink it if you like basic single malts in simple oak

26th December 2017

Utterly waste of time. Bitter bitter sour empty harsh . Dread taking another sip just oak . Better to chew a brick . Non inviting . Avoid at all cost

5th October 2017

OK, so for the money, I have to give this three stars. Clearly the age statement was left off for a reason, but the American Oak expression is not without is merits. OK, so there is indeed an unusual thing in the finish that is kind of green banana, grapefruit thing, but it is almost overwhelmed by the edge of youth on the palate. So as a day to day drinker, I would put it on the middle shelf, which in our home means guests can help themselves... just stay out of the top shelf.

27th August 2017

Excellent single Malt with nice lingering finish.

11th July 2017

I am a self confessed Islay malt and smoky, peaty fanboy. This is a delightful sweet and smooth lowland malt. Slightly toffee and oaky. A decent price too,

11th July 2017

Very pleasant drink.

4th July 2017

Doesn't compare to the 12 year old version. Buy we year old, don't waste your time.

20th May 2017

Really weird banana-ish taste at the start, but honestly pretty pleasant given the price point. Nice warm spicy finish. I've had far worse single malts for £20, that's for sure!

18th May 2017

The naysayers are insane. Smooth buttery vanilla followed by the longest post-sip finish in any single malt EVER. Grapefruit, mandarin orange, pepper, banana, WOW.

A huge nuanced whisky. Absolutely amazing.

And the price......

30th April 2017

Easy drinking sweet with light spice finish. Recommended.

23rd April 2017

Picked up a bottle for £20, regularly available at this price from supermarkets. Harsh, unpleasant and, as someone else has pointed out, a weird unripe banana taste to it. Obviously I'll soldier my way through the bottle, but I won't have much fun doing so. Better paying a few quid more for something you can trust.

21st April 2017

I can see why some people look down their nose at this. I however think it's pleasant. Buy it at the right price and it's spot on for a midweek tipple. It wasn't too harsh I got a bit of honey and toffee, and I went and got another glass so it can't be too bad

13th March 2017

A nice mellow scotch with a peppery citrus start which turns to buttery popcorn and vanilla. I'm no expert but this teminds me of an Irish whiskey. A good lowland scotch for a newb or someone like myself who prefers a smooth less chewy, peaty flavor. This would make a nice aperitif or dessert offering. Quality for a reasonable price point.

8th February 2017

Bought discounted for £20 and beats the pants off anything else at that price point. A little rough around the edges for sure, but pleasantly fiery and astringent with an initial taste of slightly-under-ripe banana followed by some caramel, toffee and vanilla. Drink it as-is; adding water makes the banana flavour unpleasantly green, it doesn't play well with mixers. This type of younger, sweeter, more Bourbon -like Scotch seems to be the coming thing, and there's plenty of choice; this one's a good one. At normal price there are better buys but if you see it cheaper, worth a go.

2nd February 2017

This isn't a bad single malt for the price, but the 12y/o is much better and doesn't cost much more. Triple distillation can't hide the youth of this one, and the combined astringency of the first-fill oak makes this Scotch just a bit too harsh for my liking. An interesting experiment despite its intrinsic rough edges.

5th January 2017

I had so much floral honey in my mouth it's like choking as soon as it gets past your lips. Definitely not like most other Scotch or Irish so it gets an 2/5 instead of 1/5. Hoping it makes good mixed drinks because of the citrus/floral/honey but straight or with a drop of water it wasnt good.

20th December 2016

The main difference between Irish and Scotch whisky is that Irish whiskey is triple distilled while Scotch is distilled twice. This Scotch breaks that rule and triple distills it making it taste more like an Irish whiskey than a Scotch whisky, but still holding Scotch characteristics. It's good for what it is as well as the price. A good compromise between Scotch and Irish whiskey, but a representation of neither.

7th December 2016

Went to Scotland for our honeymoon, did a whisky tasting and hated them all but loved this one. Very easy to drink, smooth and a little sweet vanilla with a slight oakiness. Perfect starter whisky for people who think they don't like whisky.

17th November 2016

Not good. My bar ran out of 16 year old Glenlivet and offered this for a buck less. Left half of it in the glass. Wouldn't drink it again.

12th November 2016

Its not too bad. Its harmless. Lacks real punch and depth, but its a nice enough, easy drinker

11th September 2016

I came across this one in Tesco for £20.
Got it home and was very pleased , especially for the bargain bin price. Remember this is a NAS single malt. For £20!!!
I always pick up 2 or 3 bottles whenever it's on offer.
Don't be a prude. Give this whisky a chance.
It's very smooth and has just a touch of sweetness. Lovely.
@TheMrParkinson

15th August 2016

This surely is the most pathetic excuse for single malt whisky I would rather drink Buckfast.

3rd August 2016

I think because of the distellery's name there is higher expectations. However, for the price it isn't a bad whisky. I think this is a good whisky to introduce some non-whisky drinkers to just to give them an idea of what is out there

28th July 2016

This whiskey can only be drank with ice. One cube's enough. Really does taste like a young whiskey. I wouldn't buy this again and if I could return it I would.

15th July 2016

So I have tried the 12 year and three wood and just wasn't impressed by either they tasted like caramel coloring and the spirit used just didn't seem up to par with other distilleries but I got this as a gift and I'm not one to complain about free whisky but was actually pleasantly surprised by this.It's my favorite thing I've had from this distillery for sure nice light vanilla/honey flavor with a hint of red apples and some citrus and a finish similar to a good smooth bourbon.Not bad at all and better than anything else I've had from Auchentoshan for sure also pretty reasonably priced.Buy this instead of three wood and save your money.The Sugarbear

10th May 2016

It's quite a smooth whiskey actually. Lovely stuff. Went down well. Don't see why previous people slag it off. Not bad at all for £20.

7th April 2016

This tastes way too much like bourbon, starts kinda sweet then halfway through you can taste the youth, starts tasting like a blended scotch. Wish I could get my money back, that bad.

30th March 2016

Really love it it's a lovely smooth whiskey just with ice only

25th March 2016

Absolutely terrible malt
I am a massive fan of talisker laphroig glenlivet to mention a few and if they can pass this off as a single malt I am George Clooney what a disgrace there is seriously bad after taste which turned my stomach I wouldn't pay 2 quid for this never mind 20.

23rd March 2016

This is a great buy for someone looking to purchase their first Scotch. It is very easy on the palate. As someone a little more experienced, I would buy this again. It is an easy pour after a long day.

22nd February 2016

You can taste the youth in this whisky, triple distilled or not. It's got a lot of young spirits in the bottle and it comes off tasting like an unsweetened bourbon. Better to spend a little more on the Three Wood if you're loyal to the brand, or anything in the group with ages on the bottle.

2nd February 2016

My cousin told me to get as a must, didn't disappoint! Goes down very easy, which can be a bad thing.....hangover! Really enjoyed, will buying more of the stuff!

22nd January 2016

From Cali. Never saw the brand before. Looking for Glenfiddich, found, but way more expensive than at home. Asked for the clerk to advise, he suggested this. On a lark, I bought it: Novel, more moderate price. Why not? Suspiciously too delicious, too easy to drink. Tastes too good. I feel like I felt when they started to ruin beer with fruit flavors, then I tasted, and loved them. Seriously, a guilty pleasure. Who can resist candy scotch? Shamed to say, not me. Orange, coconut, butterscotch in a bottle. Love it!

21st January 2016

what a synergy of bold oak veteran bourbon barrels....and triple-distilled delicate lowland hush.....what else can you say....slow down, let the pour sit...open the bottle and let it sit, too....let oxygen, your palate and patience do the rest. enjoy

22nd December 2015

Having recently tried Jamesons Select Reserve and seen this on discount, I had high hopes for my first foray into triple distilled lowland Scotch.

However I was left fairly underwhelmed with this one.

It definitely has that triple distilled vibe going for it - clean & crisp with that buttery finish - but I can sense very little cask influence.

A glass of this had me drifting off, hankering for something with a bit more character or maturity.

Being a Glasgow lad, I will persevere and try the Auchentoshan 10yr old next time round but probably won't get another bottle of this.

In a word: meh

25th October 2015

Because it's triple distilled, this is a very clean tasting smooth drinkable whisky, and at just over £30 you don't have to feel too guilty when you sneak a dram into your cup of tea, yum :) No other whiskys I have tried around this price point come close. Not bad at all...

11th October 2015

I was quite disappointed with this whisky with its citrus tones and lack of depth it was a little fussy for my taste.

14th August 2015

Maybe it's not the most complex of scotches out there, but for a nice enjoyable dram to share with friends at a great price, this is well worth it.

17th April 2015

For the price it really nice. Fruity. Not long aftertaste. But very soft for a drinking.

19th March 2015