Auchentoshan Three Wood

An excellent dessert whisky for those of us who ordinarily prefer Islays. Baked caramel and vanilla with some dark fruits. Lurking in the background were hints of coffee and chocolate. This whisky really is very enjoyable. I'd have given it an even higher score if the nose weren't so different and not nearly as enjoyable. It isn't rare for the smell and taste to differ, but in this case it was radically different. On the nose I got ginger, orange peels, and something else I couldn't quite identify. If I was judging by nose alone this would have been something like a 2. The taste alone though is probably more like a 4.25+.

Very bold, lots of sherry, dry fruits and burnt caramel, no peat but, quite smooth. Almost like a Cognac?

Oily, tobacco, dark berries

Nose: Oh what a great thing! Berries, evident blackberries, raspberries and currants. An alcoholic fruit salad of wild berries !! But also candied orange peel. Palate: weaker than the nose. Always evident berries, but also prunes and caramel, the latter being exaggerated. All seasoned with cinnamon. Final: short with plums, but very sweet. I've always loved Auchentoshan, it's no mystery, and 21yo remains an exceptional whisky for me. Here we are a couple of steps below, even 3 steps below, but always on excellent quality. Too bad for the excess of caramel, otherwise it could have done more. Rating 4.00 ____________________________________________________________ Naso: oh che cosa fantastica! Frutti di bosco, evidenti more, lamponi e ribes. Una macedonia alcolica di frutti di bosco!! Ma anche scorze d’arancia candita. Palato: più debole del naso. Sempre frutti di bosco evidenti, ma anche prugne e caramello, quest’ultimo peraltro esagerato. Il tutto condito con cannella. Finale: breve alle prugne, ma dolcissimo. Ho sempre amato Auchentoshan, non è un mistero, e il 21yo rimane per me un whisky eccezionale. Qui siamo un paio di gradini sotto, anche 3 gradini sotto, ma sempre su ottima qualità. Peccato per l’eccesso di caramello, se no avrebbe potuto fare di più. Voto 4,00