Auchentoshan Three Wood

Good bourbon like. Not too scotchy

On initial pour, this smells singularly of mincemeat pie. And I know...mincemeat is a big blend of spices and fruits (and occasionally real meat), but they have always seemed, to me anyway, to come together in a cohesive smell that is unique to mincemeat. Let this sit in the glass for 10 minutes and it opens a bit; grape, raisins, grape, burnt caramel, grape cool aid, vanilla, and grape make an appearance, in that order, and in that intensity. Getting past the nose, the palate is sadly much of the same. While I know it's sherried, this tastes much more to me like Port, and sadly, a thin, sweet, cheap Port at that. The mouthfeel is nice, smooth and silky before it comes back to bite a bit sharper than I'd expect for the ABV. With a lot of work, I was able to discern just the faintest hints of tobacco (think more of White Owl or Swisher Sweets than a Montechristo Epic) and an ashy flavor that I sometimes find when I've just changed the house water filter. The finish is brief, sweet, and mildly pleasant, possibly because it is so brief. All in all, this will be my last bottle of Auchentoshan. While not as bad as the Alberta Dark Batch which I absolutely loath, it definitely shares a lot of the same unpleasant flavors.

Even with the caveat that the Auchentoshan house style does nothing for me, I really have to say this guy did not impress at all--surprisingly muted, and a lot of what is here just feels more like a middle-of-the-road Irish whiskey blend than anything else. Nose of banana, heather honey, some cedar, cinnamon, raisins, caramel. Some apple or pear. The much vaunted sherry character doesn't actually seem to do much heavy lifting here, just adding a bit of grapey/berry sweetness around the edges--very ephemeral. It does grow a bit over time, though, and does at least present itself in the taste: reasonably creamy body given the ABV. Initial berries, red fruit, some sweet grape, apples and pears (poached?), then banana, some smoke and spice. Mint? A bit of lemon zest. Finish of light smoke and plantain, and dry, bitter wood. Surprising white pepper heat. Hardly offensive; just . . . meh.