Review #391 - Auchentoshan 12 Year
During a darker period in whisky sales, when the number of surviving Lowland malt distilleries was reduced to just a couple of entries, Auchentoshan remained and continued production. They make their single malt whisky in the traditional Lowland style - triple-distilled, lighter spirit, which yields some floral, grassy, and estery flavors. Though there are a few other distilleries that have some production of triple-distilled spirit, Auchentoshan is one of the few that uses the process on all of their single malt.
This 12 year old example is one of their standard core range bottlings - a bit older and more premium than their NAS cask-finished whiskies, but below their more aged expressions, such as the 18 year old. It's aged in a combination of ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry casks, though not much other information is given on the label or website.
Auchentoshan 12 Year
Scotland/Lowland - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 56 (2024)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 40% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 years; bottles at 60%, 100%, and 20% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Quite malty - floral, vegetal, almost sour malt. There's sweet vanilla and cinnamon adding a sweet baking side, but also pumpkin seeds, pine, and peppery spice adding a sharper side. More sweetness arrives from bubblegum and caramel; in the background, soft fruit notes like strawberry and blackberry can be found.
Palate: The mouthfeel is thin; quite malty and grainy again, with a mix of sweet vanilla and white pepper. Oak is drying but somewhat mild; there is a bit of sherry impact, which adds soft red fruits, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Lots of baking spice; with time, the mouthfeel and flavors grow a bit more watery.
Finish: Medium length, not too oily, but there's a nice fizzy sherry component. Malty grains are still adding light vegetal notes, and we get a mix of sweet and sour flavor. Biscuits, Sprite soda, and hints of cherries linger in the aftertaste; it's rounded and mellow.
Final Note: This does stay true to that classic light Lowland style of single malt - lots of soft, malty, effervescent notes. While the sherry influence isn't strong, we did find hints of it; still, this leaned toward the ex-bourbon side of the maturation, but it didn't show a lot of age. Our biggest complaint, though, is the strength - this tastes far too watered down, too rounded off and plain. We would love to see what this could offer at 46% to 50% ABV.
Value is a bit below average, as well - while this does fall into the 'budget' category for single malts, a lot of its competitors are offering higher strength spirits and more flavor.
Our Average Rating: 4.9 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.19
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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