ctbeck11
Auchentoshan 12 Year
Single Malt — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed
September 23, 2020 (edited September 14, 2022)
Nose - toffee, pineapple and other tropical fruit, honey, honeysuckle, orange marmalade, milk chocolate, raisin, moderate ethanol burn.
Taste - sour apple, orange zest, toffee, vanilla, coconut, pineapple, chocolate, raisin, moderate alcohol bite, finishing short with fading sour, fruity, and bright, young alcohol flavors.
This is the first Lowland I’ve tried and I’m pretty disappointed. The nose is delicate and pleasant, but the taste is fairly muddled and harsh. For a 12 year aged expression, this drinks very young, sour, and hot. I’m definitely open to recommendations for Lowland offerings that better showcase the region, if anyone has a suggestion.
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@ContemplativeFox thanks! Agreed Three Wood is the best of the 3. I have grown to appreciate the 12 in its own way. I find if I walk my palate through Tomatin 12 first, then a trip to Auchentoshan 12 it is more pleasant. But I try not to drink multiple bottles in the same sitting.
@StephenFreyseng Great comparison of the three main Auchentoshans. @ctbeck11 I didn't like the 12 or American Oak, but the Three Wood was very solid, though $80 does seem a bit steep. I also tried a bourbon-aged IB from Signatory that was great.
Lowlands are better known for producing grain and blended whisky. Their malts are generally much lighter than in the other regions, allegedly to avoid overpowering other grains in blends.
@StephenFreyseng I’ve had my eye on the Three Wood, but at ~$80 a bottle near me, I’m hesitant to pull the trigger. It does look to be an improvement over the standard 12 year though.
Well put, “drinks young”. First time I had Auchentoshan 12 I had a headache from it. I tried the Auchentoshan American Oak and Thee Wood and was surprised how vastly different they are from the 12 year. The American Oak lacks depth, but is very smooth and light. The Three Wood provides a less citrus flavour and has more depth.