Malt Mission 2008 #270

Auchentoshan 17yo
Lowland Single Malt Whisky
51% abv
£60
$125(USD)

Friday. Ah. Not that it really means anything necessarily lets up...
In Aberdeen now, then Edinburgh for some time and do not expect to be doing much on the Dr. Whisky front. Just a warning, but hope I can surprise myself. And you.

Although it is still typically understood that lowland distilleries triple distill their whiskies, Auchentoshan (awe-kin-taw-shin) is currently the only distillery to do so, apart for Springbank (Campbeltown) in their making of Hazelburn(see Malt Mission #266). In 1941 the distillery was severely damaged in a German bomb raid and is today part of the Morrison Bowmore(Suntory) company.

This whisky spent 8 years in bourbon casks and 9 in casks that held claret from the St. Julien region of Bordeaux. Ah-oui oui. Gouter le nectar. Pardon. Sorry. Shut up.

Tasted in the morning with Ran and Matt. We were hungry as hell.

TASTING NOTES:

Musty, damp towl, and sherried fruitiness. Gets grapey with white and black pepper, a little musk, and vine leaves. Organic sweetness with some spice.
"Port, tawny port"-RM

Quite eruptive , ginger, spicy, wet moss, grass. Late flavours are butterscotch, treacle, toasted almonds, some coconut oil and marzipan.
"the sweetness creeps up."-MH
"Rouses your appetite. Sort of scrubs away other flavours and gets me ready to eat"-RM

SUMMARY:

Unusual nose but strangely appealing. Initial palate is quite hard but the flavours in the mouth that persist are pleasant. With more than half of it's maturing life spent in a bordeaux cask it's hardly a 'finish', but it is unique and that alone could persuade you to try it.
"Drying on the finish"-MH
"Harsh foretatse that then settles down with the drying end note."-RM
Both guys like the addition of water.
I enjoyed the rustic nature of it, it had a mustiness suited for stone caverns.
"A medeival dram."-MH

Malt Mission #266
Malt Mission #267
Malt Mission #268
Malt Mission #269

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