Auchentoshan, pronounced “ock-un-tosh-un,” is a distillery situated between the Kilpatrick Hills,

Loch Lomond and the modern cosmopolitan city of Glasgow on the west coast of Scotland.  It is one of only three Lowland single malt whisky distilleries still producing this triple-distilled style of whisky.

Although the Auchentoshan whiskies are light in style, with no peat influence, they have a very good balance and are quite nice.

This newest release is a 12-year old Cask Strength and Non-Chill Filtered 1998 Vintage matured exclusively in Fino Sherry barrels. It is bottled at 54.6% ABV and is expected to retail for about $79.99. There will only be 750 bottles released in the US.

Tasting Notes from the Distillery

Color                    Deep Copper

Body                    Medium-bodied Lowland

Nose                     Butterscotch, honey, preserved orange peel,

                              toasted almonds

Palate                    Oozes sweet and creamy aromas at first which

                              then give way to the signature citrus   

                              characteristic of Auchentoshan

Finish                   A hint of green apple and blossom

BUMS tasting notes on the 1998 Vintage bottling:

Nose                 Luscious sherry notes, malty, gentle, slight hint of    

                          currant jam and the wax canning seal.

Palate                Creamy, slightly spicy sherry sweetness, lemon

                           zest, banana, and caramel

With water, the nose takes on a nutty scent and the palate gets creamier and the sherry comes up a notch.

Finish                 Light lingering caramel apple

I’d rate this an 85-90

BUMS tasting notes on earlier Auchentoshan releases :

Auchentoshan Bourbon-aged 16-year old, cask strength, 53.7% ABV 85-90

On the Nose there is a slight bourbon scent with cherries and vanilla predominantly but also a very floral scent. For a cask-strength its palate is very smooth with no alcohol hotness and a slight sweet malty flavor. With water the palate really dulled down. It has a very long creamy finish. At an earlier tasting of this I didn’t realize its complexity and initially scored it lower but I would give this an 85-90 although I’d give its Bordeaux finished cousin (a 17-year old) a 90-95.  Tasted 11/8/09

The Auchentoshan distillery was founded in 1823 on the Auchentoshan Estate at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills overlooking the River Clyde, by John Bulloch, a local corn merchant. By 1900, the landscape around the distillery had changed beyond recognition as Glasgow had become “the second city of the British Empire.” In 1934, as the city built up around the distillery, the staff celebrated the launches of the RMS Queen Mary and the RMS Queen Elizabeth ocean liners, with Auchentoshan as the toasting dram.  Years later, in the course of two terrible nights in March 1941, Clydebank was systematically destroyed by enemy action during World War II. Miraculously, Auchentoshan distillery was one of the seven properties in the area that remained unharmed, however more than 1 million liters of whisky were lost. A bomb crater behind the distillery now forms the pond for the cooling water. Today, Auchentoshan is one of only three distilleries still operating in the Lowlands and produces the same unpeated style Scotch as it did back in 1823.

The award winning Auchentoshan portfolio includes Auchentoshan Classic, 12 Year Old, Three Wood,

18 Year Old and the limited release 21 Year Old, in addition to select vintage, limited edition releases.

Suntory, the Japanese drinks giant, owns Auchentoshan as well as Glen Garioch, Bowmore and the Yamazaki  Distillery, producers of Yamazaki Single Malts and Hibiki Blends.

Auchentoshan is distributed in the US by Skyy Spirits, who are also exclusive distributors of  Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky, The Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky,

Glen Garioch Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Hibiki Whisky and The Yamazaki Single

Malt Whisky.