Review by: The Muskox

I haven’t had an Auchentoshan in ages, due in part to the OBs being boring and the IBs getting rather expensive. This pour came as part of a tasting from the venerable Toronto Whisky Society, featuring whiskies expertly selected by u/devoz. Up first was this store pick by the Keg n Cork Liquor Company of Edmonton.

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Distillery: Auchentoshan.

Bottler: Edition Spirits.

Region: Lowlands.

ABV: 51.7%, cask strength.

Age: 23 years old. Distilled in 1995. Bottled in 2019.

Cask type: Cask #HL16547, a refill hogshead.

Price: $195 CAD for 700mL at Keg n Cork in Edmonton, Alberta.

Color: Straw. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.

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Nose: Sweet with some fragrant oak. Green apple, stonefruit, a hint of pineapple, and chocolate chip banana bread dusted with powdered sugar. Interesting nutty notes of sunflower seeds, sesame oil, and pistachios. Floral flavours of lemongrass and hibiscus. Soft buttery maltiness.

Palate: Medium-oily texture. Rich challah and honey on the arrival. Peach preserves and passionfruit. Pineapple fried with rum and brown sugar, just like my grandma used to make (I mean, she still makes it, but she used to, too). Richly sweet and malty on the development. More chocolate chip banana bread, honeyed oats, and rich oak. Hints of leather, walnuts, and nutmeg on the back end.

Finish: Medium-length, with lingering floral oiliness. Honey-soaked sandalwood and candied ginger. Peaches, tangerines, sweet mint, and brown sugar. Slightly custardy with nutmeg.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “A proper breakfast whisky”

Notes: This whisky blew past my expectations with its gorgeous mix of soft honeyed and tropical flavours. This is probably my favourite style of whisky, and this bottling executes it very well. Such great rich sweetness on the palate. It’s easy to compare this to that Cardhu 11 Special Release I had the other day – despite being similar in style and flavour components, this Auchentoshan is easily my preference of the two. The theme for this tasting was “Oddballs”, so it’s fitting that Auchentoshan is definitely different from the ones I’ve tried before. The grassy and floral Lowland-ish notes are still here, but the dram has this really fantastic butteriness and oiliness that gives it a very substantial quality. I’d call that an improvement!

Final Score: 85.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.