
Distillery: Auchentoshan
Region: Lowland
Age: NAS
Strength: 40%
Price: $46.99
Maturation: American bourbon casks
Location: Glasgow
Nose: Vanilla, oak, coconut, banana, suntan lotion, citrus zest
Palate: Coconut, peach, banana, vanilla
Finish: Mint, spice, oak, oil
Comments:
Adam – What a panoply of smells and flavors. They’re light, fluffy, ephemeral almost. Dance a light waltz or ronde with the Auchentoshan American Oak, but only enough to wet the palate. Unlike a great many of the scotches we try from the more northerly reaches of the country, this dram gambols with fruit and at times can feel a little dominated by the oak for better or worse. It’s generally smooth, though skips a beat with too much oil on the finish if you’re not ready for it. The delicate nature may be both a strength and a weakness, as the overall experience seems very susceptible to being influenced by anything else you’ve consumed. If any whisky needs an aperitif, this would be it.
This has a very tropical feel. Like you could sip it on the beach under a palm tree.
Jenny – I feel like I just coated my tongue with Listerine. I do not like this one. However, this was after eating some cheese. With a palate cleanser, it brought out the sweet and took away the medicinal taste. I enjoy it more now.
Meghan – This one has grown on me a bit. At first, I didn’t have any real opinion about it. On a second tasting I was able to identify more flavors and nuances that improved my view. I found buttered popcorn on the nose, something no one noticed the first time. Mind you, it’s possible what I felt was suntan lotion one day could be construed as buttered popcorn the next, depending on the conditions of my sinuses. There is a refreshing citrus mint on the front palate. It is a little medicinal as well, a bit like those all-natural throat drops. As we were able to pick this up for just a bit over $30, I find the Auchentoshan American Oak a decent steal. Whether I’d feel that way at its full price I don’t know. But, to be able to put a check mark next to a Lowland for 30 bucks, this is certainly drinkable.
Michael – This has a very tropical feel. Like you could sip it on the beach under a palm tree.