Auchentoshan 18 Year

Quick Hit: Banana; soft; sweet. [Whiskyfest 17]

"Simply under-rated by most. Not surprising as this is for me a spring and summer whiskey. There is no point comparing it to the peat or sherry ilk. NOSE - mmmmm, grass, lemon, this is a meadow after a slight shower, breeze on your skin reminding you why its so good to be alive; PALATE - light, very light, perhaps why it can be under-rated, subtle, lemons, limes, is this what a flower might taste like? FINISH:- very smooth, no burn at all, medium duration, dry as the meadow fades away you are left with the realisation that tomorrow is back to work meeting people who have no clue what whiskey is and drink awful beers or house-wines. Simply enjoyable. Hud"

I went out for a semi-fancy dinner with some friends today, coincidentally it was held at the biggest whiskey bar in Richmond, Va. It's called Big Whiskey Grill and it has one of the best bourbon and scotch menus in town. Unfortunately, it's also quite expensive with even some of the most mundane scotches costing a ridiculous amount. I decided I would try to keep my bill as low as reasonably possible, while still finding a couple of drams of something new (and interesting) to me. Up first, lowland single malt, Auchentoshan 18 year old. It's triple distilled, non-chill filtered and comes in at 43% ABV. The look is toffee or dark gold, and it created some thin, oily legs that formed and fell slowly down in the Glencairn. I'm not sure how long the bottle has been open, but I was probably only the second or third pour from it. The nose was initially very sweet, caramel corn with some oak and alcohol notes. It was pleasantly floral and became even more so after some time in the glass. The waiter asked me twice if there was something wrong because I must've swirled and sniffed it a dozen times before finally taking a sip. My friends also questioned (and tested) my patience... It was surprisingly young tasting, at first. Lots of lovely oak spice greeted me with the initial sip and became heavily earthy and floral before drying my mouth rather quickly. The overall mouthfeel remained thin throughout the entire sip. Pleasant enough, yet forgettable. The finish was pretty short with a little bit of a burn. Flowers and oak dominate even though it stays pretty smooth. The warmth stays in the mouth causing a drying sensation that, while not offensive, isn't very inspiring either. It's a solid, lowland style malt that fits the mold. The 18 years doesn't help or hurt it in my opinion so that makes the 2oz price of $22 seem high. A solid 3.5 stars. Cheers.