Showing posts with label Auchentoshan Three Wood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Auchentoshan Three Wood. Show all posts

Auchentoshan Three Wood Review



Country: Scotland
Brand: Auchentoshan Three Woods
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Region: Lowlands
Age: Unspecified but said to be 12 Y
Alcohol: 43%

Colour: Deep Amber

Nose: Slightly sweet with Sherry, Oak, Cooked Red Fruit (think of Berries), Malt, Vanilla and Apricot Marmalade. After a while Toffee, Brown Sugar and Butterscotch become more present. There are certainly a number of flavors present here but it does not seem to be a well-orchestrated effort.

Taste: The Sherry and Cooked Red Fruits are still there with Oak, Leather, Licorice and Salted Nuts.

Finish: Sweet like Maple Syrup at first but quickly drying out with Oak, Light Spices and Mint. There is a Rubbery Off Tone in the end.

I added a bit of water but it does not make a whole lot of difference although you get a bit extra fruit on the Nose (Pear). You can play with a bit of water if you want.

Rating:  80,5 

Nose: 21 – Taste: 20,5 – Finish: 19 – Overall: 20


General Remarks:

The Auchentoshan Distillery was founded in 1800 and is located just north of Glasgow. It’s one of only three active Lowland Distilleries alongside Bladnoch and Glenkinchie.  This Single Malt is triple-distilled like most Irish whiskey. Generally, this leaves the young spirit lighter and fruitier. Although no age is specified it is understood that this Single Malt aged in American Bourbon Oak for 10 years and was finished for one year each in Spanish Oloroso – and Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good (with the exception of the Rubber Off Tone in the Finish)

Conclusion: This is not an easy Malt to judge. On the one hand the Nose has sufficient interesting flavors for you to unravel. But they don’t seem to fit together all that well. The Palate sometimes reminds me a bit of Bourbon and sometimes of Raspberry juice. Red Wine and even Port Wine came to my mind. I have nothing against whisky being finished in casks that previously contained other spirits. But distilleries need to be careful not to overdo it. This is not a bad Single Malt but the Three Wood may have overplayed its cards a bit.

Jan van den Ende                                                                 April 29, 2012