The Dram That Got Away

As I write this, i'm trying to vaguely remember a phrase that goes something along the lines of 'when all around you is falling apart, try to keep your head intact' or something like that. The reason for this is that Caskstrength Towers is crumbling and in need of some serious repairs.

I'm squeezed into a tiny corner of the house, stuff piled up around me, as builders and decorators renovate the spare bedrooms. Dust, sweat and the aroma of rolling tobacco has permeated everything. My faithful companion, Bobby is constantly on edge, his usual viewing platform of the top stair, covered in filthy dust sheets. Every day, for the last 10 days, the strains of Adele's Someone Like You blast down to me - only it's not Adele, it's a trio of gentlemen with south London accents- (the similarities are truly striking.)

Having builders in your house is like a war of attrition. Your routine is altered - just a little bit at a time, but after 10 days, you realise that you can no longer function in the same way. The house seems to be choking me.

One of my main concerns is that all of my whiskies, (a considerable number of bottles) stored neatly in a spare room are now precariously placed downstairs, in easy kicking distance of a steel toe capped boot or worse. A new walk-in cabinet is being built to house them and i'm waiting for the builder to give me the good news that I can return them upstairs to safety. Only there's a problem with the shelves not being high enough to house the Lagavulin bottles, so they've had to be extended.

Still there is a positive note to this story. On moving a big box of samples I unexpectedly came across something of beauty, that might just go down as one of my favourite whiskies of all time.

Behind the box lay a tiny bottle of Glen Garioch from 1971, bottled by The Whisky Exchange. It must have somehow escaped and rested untouched, unnoticed until now. So as the sound of a Black & Decker power drill and the trio of Adeles soundtrack the morning- it is now (7.30am) I am sat in a dressing gown, nosing glass in hand pouring a little bit of calm. Is this bad? Probably, but after 10 days, my sense of timing might have gone a little bit astray...

Glen Garioch - 1971 - Bottled for The Whisky Exchange - 43.9%

Nose: I've found a corner where the dust hasn't yet settled so can properly do this justice. First up are some wonderful creamy oak notes, diving straight into fresh strawberries and cream, key lime pie, a dash of white pepper, perhaps the merest hint of peat and some desiccated coconut. The balance is staggering - it is light, yet complex, yet slightly smoky.

Palate: Creamy and mouth coating, then into an array of wonderful flavours: More of the strawberries and cream, mango, a wash of 70's peat (not young and abrasive, just smooth and silky) a dusting of icing sugar, vanilla custard, broken gingersnap biscuits - this whisky has it all - and then some. Magnificent.

Finish: Long lingering notes of oak, some lemon zest and a little sweet tobacco and Earl Grey tea round out a superb experience in the mouth.

Overall: As much as I'm probably a little unhinged today, due to my building predicament, this whisky has fixed everything. It is calming, complex, smooth, charming and unbelievably drinkable. If only it could wield a set of tools, I would have fired the builders by now. Here's hoping The Whisky Exchange have some left...

Standing at the Auccy...

Hot on the heels of our recent trip to the Lowlands where we visited Cameron Bridge and Glen Kinchie, we find ourselves in Glasgow for a tasting of Auchentoshan, including a sneak preview of their soon to be released 1975 vintage bottling. As some of you will remember 1975 happens to be my birth year and it always seems to take on an additional resonance to drink something produced in the year you just so happened to pop out.

Our tasting began with an introduction to the core range of malts from the distillery's Senior Blender, Jeremy Stephens. What we find intriguing about Auchentoshan is the relationship between the range of expressions 12 Year Old and Three Wood. At their hearts are a series of very prominent key characteristics, despite the type of maturation or age. Tonight's tasting also highlighted just how much of a forward thinking company Auchentoshan have become; in a few short years the brand have considerably increased their output and now sell around 60,000 cases worldwide per year. This might not sound like a lot, but they seem to be appealing to a new, previously untapped group of whisky drinkers - by way of example, Mrs Ridley recently proclaimed Auchentoshan Three Wood as her pathway into enjoying whisky...a big bold statement... and something I have been hoping would happen for nigh on a decade now!!

You can view Mrs Ridley's tasting notes on the Three Wood here.

Auchentoshan - 12yo - 40% - 70cl

Nose: Very distinct aromas of dried coconut, unblanched almonds and cherry drops all greet the nostrils on the first sniff- it is light, but not in the same way perhaps Glenkinchie or Bladnoch is (not remotely zesty, or floral) and definitely has plenty of individual character.

Palate: A slightly off kilter coal/oil like note first hits you, not what I was expecting, but not unpleasant- this subsides into ripe pears, more almond notes and perhaps the deftest hint of sherry wood.

Finish: Lingering fruit notes with a hint of woody oak creeping in on the death.

Overall: A very solid starting point from the distillery's key malt. It perhaps lacks the character demonstrated so eloquently in the brilliant Three Wood, but nonetheless a easy and enjoyable single malt.

Next up and a real coup- a sneaky dram of the brand spanking new Auchentoshan 1975 vintage. We reviewed the distillery's last 2 vintage bottlings (the 1977 and 1998) back in December, with the older whisky showing off a different side to intense sherry cask maturation.

The 1975 is a different beast altogether. It's not clear exactly what type of casks this has come from (we suspect refill Bourbon, rather than 1st fill) ) but with only 500 bottles in the outturn and around 30 for the domestic market, it probably isn't going to be around for long. Looking at the label and packaging- simplicity a great thing indeed... Rest assured, there will be no Lalique decanter here...

Auchentoshan 1975 - 46.9% - 500 bottles- 70cl

Nose: Quite remarkable. Although this is quite the middle-aged gentleman, it exhibits elements of the dried coconut and unblanched almonds found in the 12yo. But then it really starts to come alive. Wow- stewed rhubarb, marshmallows, melted brandy butter and gingersnap biscuits are all there in abundance. Balanced, rich, moreish, wonderful.

Palate: A huge hit of tropical fruit takes you by surprise - very unexpected indeed. It's mango and passion fruit, but then a little smoked pork begins to take over and we're off in a different direction, with white pepper, hints of aged tobacco and then back to some sweetened tinned peaches and cream. Utterly brilliant.

Finish: The fruit lingers nicely, with the peaches being the overriding force.

Overall: An absolute delight of a whisky. Make no mistake, I am probably harder on whiskies from this year than any other, but this one is totally spot on. The birthday collection I have been slowly building when I can afford to is developing nicely but now it has an Auchentoshan shaped hole in it. Damn it...