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