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| Auchentoshan Samples at Caskstrength HQ |
It’s been a while since we last reviewed an Auchentoshan.
One of our top visits when in the southern-half of Scotland, the
triple-distilled spirit is made just outside Glasgow and their visitors experience
really is excellent as is their Three Wood, which is fast becoming a standard behind
bars and a fantastic flavour in a good whisky sour.
Later today I’m off to Heathrow to sample a new range of
Duty Free Only Dalmore bottlings, as it seems the whisky world has gone Travel
Retail mad over the last few months and Auchentoshan have embraced this world
with gusto, by introducing five (yes, 5!) new releases in to the sector.
With such packed shelves in World Duty Free, it must be
difficult to make your product stand out or come alive to the international
traveller and the angle which Auchentoshan is taking is to use names from
either tree growth or wood maturation, to go some way to explain how the liquid is matured. As a result, there will be whiskies
called ‘Heartwood’, ‘Springwood’, ‘14 YO Cooper’s Reserve’, ‘Silveroak’ and ‘Solera’ all ranging in price from £34.99 - £130.00.
I must admit that, even as an ardent whisky drinker, these
names don’t fill me with any sense of excitement. If I see another bottle of
whisky with the word ‘cooper’ on the label, I think I might borrow some of their vicious looking tools and use them to help 'inspire' these marketing departments to have a go at thinking outside the box a little...
..but let’s ignore that and get to the heart(wood) of the matter:
the liquid, by trying a couple of samples which arrived in the post recently.
Auchentoshan – Springwood - NAS – 40% abv - £34.99 for 1 litre
Springwood: the time of most fresh growth for the tree. 100% bourbon
matured.
Nose: Initial hit
of grapefruit, citricidal, lemon and lime zest, green apple sours, some musty
oak, coconut milk. Official tasting notes says ‘poached pears’ which I’d agree
with. Develops over time to lose the zest and settle down more into malted milk.
Palate: Very fresh
and light, this gives off pear juice, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, kiwi
and gooseberry and some light honey. A classic lowlander. A drizzle of water
adds an element of rose water to the overall palate.
Finish: Short and
clean with a hint of citus zest.
Overall: Much
better than I was expect on the palate. Very light, easy to drink. I’d like to
see what happens to a bottle when chilled down in the freezer; could be a real
summer drinker in a frozen glass with a sprig of mint and some ice. In fact, I bet it
makes a great highball.
Auchentoshan – Heartwood – NAS - 43% abv - £41.99 for 1 litre
Heartwood: the rich core heart of the tree. Bourbon & Oloroso
matured.
Nose: A hint of
BBQ chippings, rain on dry wood, all-spice and freshly cooked hot dog. Cinnamon
and apple doughnuts warmed in the oven. Quite a lot going on. It’s got a
wonderfully complex nose and is meaty for a triple distilled whisky.
Palate: In the
mouth, the flavours give strong oak, with the meaty natures throwing roast lamb
and thyme at you followed by Satsuma and some light citrus notes. May roast duck with plums. With water,
the whole thing dampens down a bit. Drink this one neat.
Finish: Blood
orange with some lemon drizzle and dark chocolate.
Overall: This
whisky is packed full of flavour and can be a bit of a moving target on the
palate, but the nose and finish are excellent, leaving a juicy, full flavour
behind.
So it seems that those of you lucky enough to travel regularly
will soon be spoilt for even more choice when passing through your favourite airport. Stay tuned for some more
Travel Retail Only new releases over the next few days. At this rate, with all
these new releases, it makes it almost pleasurable to book a flight on
Ryanair... or maybe not!