Auchentoshan 12 Year

Tropical fruits with sweet notes of caramel, vanilla

Well, that’s Auchentoshan for sure and I wonder if I should add anything to that as these Lowland malts are truly distinctive to anything you can get from the market. The aroma has this sour/bitter carcass based on arrow-wood berries, lemon zest and some chemicals like nail polish or acetone which is the feature common to all of the Auchentoshan malts. Some of the components are similar to the ones of Three Wood but much less intense though the 12 yo has a pretty solid body itself. Also some raisins, prunes and plum jam to form the sweet yet pale shape. The taste is sour sweet again - arrow-wood berries, red bilberries, both honeysuckle and honeyberries, blackcurrant leaves mixed with a newly-mown grass, citruses, raisins, caramel and a black pepper shade on a back of the tongue. The finish is malty and a little bitter with many wooden/grain notes. Also some seasonings like thyme and coriander show up right before the taste completely vanishes from your mouth. It really is closer to the fabulous Three Wood then to its “predecessor” - American Oak - thanks to the 12 years spent in the sherrie oak. Chemicals and polish just step aside here handing the leading role over to berries, caramel and raisins.

Nose: sweet, slight fudge smell. Taste: Sweet, hints of caramel. Maybe some herb/spice notes. Short/medium long finish, easy sipper. Leaves a pleasant sweet taste.