Auchentoshan Bartender’s Malt
47% ABV - Lowlands, Scotland
Nose: This has some very distinct flavours: red apples, ripe pears, rum cake, cinnamon, spices, and honey, with floral characteristics, cereal notes, and a lightly toasted or smokey quality.
Taste: Things start to blend together now. Red fruits, citrus, spices, cherrywood, liquorice, and mild tropical fruits - is that a hint from new oak?
Finish: Lasting spices, red fruits, cherries, peppercorn, Demerara sugar, and just the twist of wet leather.
This represents one of the more flavourful whiskies out there, to my palate. Not so much for its complexity, but the feeling that it’s all over the place! Is that the intention? A single malt for bartenders to use in their cocktails that can take the abuse of any flavourful dilution? I am convinced it could have any or all of sherry, rum, ex-bourbon, and new oak maturation or finishing. For the record, the website states, “American and European [Oak] as well as a variety of sherry casks, red wine barriques and German Oak.” Whatever the combination is, it works and it’s enjoyable – it really is a journey.
I credit Auchentoshan as being my first “fine” whisky. The first whisky where I looked at the price tag and thought, “this must be a fine whisky.” It was the Auchentoshan American Oak. And while I have since learned that price doesn’t dictate quality, I certainly was pleased with the taste of that purchase! The American Oak had recently replaced the Auchentoshan Classic expression in the core range - in 2014 - so maybe you could even call the timing a flavour of destiny.
At that point in my life, I was working in the field of mineral exploration spending many weeks at a time away from home. Working in such a remote location - only accessible by helicopter - any form of alcohol was valued at a premium (and wasn’t even for sale on location). So a tighter knit group of 4-6 coworkers started a practice where every time we flew back in for another 28 days of labour, we would bring along something fun to share. Spirits became the preferred option, as it produced the best value for volume (not a lot of room in a helicopter for a flat of beer, you see). This stint of work also introduced to me to Wild Turkey (yes, the Auchentoshan proved more popular).
But I digress,... this flavour of Auchentoshan - the Bartender’s Malt - while near completely different than the American Oak, still offers myself some of that comfort and memory driven experience that I have associated with the brand ever since that fateful summer. I am looking forward to the second release!
Tasted 09 January 2019. (Posted 24 January 2019.)
