Review #394 - SMWS 95.67 'Cosy with a Kick' - Auchroisk 16 Year

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

Auchroisk - another one of the lesser seen Diageo Speyside distilleries, though there was a Flora & Fauna bottling available, which came with a 10 year age statement; this distillery is occasionally included in Diageo's annual special releases, as well. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society aged this specific cask for 16 years before bottling, and it has a cask strength presentation of 56.6% ABV.

In fact, the first 13 years of that maturation were spent in an ex-bourbon hogshead, somewhat standard for the SMWS bottles which are destined to be finished; here, they chose to move it to an ex-PX hogshead for the final 3 years to impart some syrupy sherry influence.

SMWS 95.67 'Cosy with a Kick' - Auchroisk 16 Year

Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt

Price Paid: USD 185 (2023)

Age Statement: 16 Years

Strength: 56.6% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a first fill American Oak ex-Pedro Ximenez hogshead

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled January 16, 2006; 285 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Sherry influence is strong - nutty, with stewed fruits, especially dark fruits of prune and plum. Nutmeg adds more spice, and we get sweeter red fruit like strawberries; in the background, marshmallow sweetness hides.

Palate: A thick mouthfeel, bursting with juicy red fruits. Oak has a decent influence at 16 years, though there's still some malty, grainy character lingering as well; pepper, vanilla, and brown sugar add baking elements to the flavor profile. With time, it grows a bit more spicy.

Finish: Brown sugar, cardamom, all sorts of sweet baking spices. There's still a bit of white pepper adding a kick of spice, and the oak is plentiful; in the aftertaste, it's more savory. It's a long finish.

Final Note: This was a nice introduction to Auchroisk - plenty of age, plenty of strength. The sherry influence was quite strong in the nose and the beginning of the palate, showing lots of reddish fruits, though the baking spice and oak profile took over into the finish.

Value is a little below average - Society bottles have been growing more expensive, especially once their age statements hit the mid-teens. Not bad value, necessarily, but more complexity and maturity is available elsewhere at this price point.

Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 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: 5.09

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.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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