Auchentoshan 12 Year

Wow, and I thought I liked the Auchentoshan Classic! This is instantly delicious whisky. To review: Auchentoshan is probably the most prominent of the remaining Lowland distilleries, all their whisky is triple distilled (like most Irish whisky). 

I really liked their Classic (no age statement) whisky, which had lovely notes of straw and honey, gentle nuttiness with fluffy marshmallow. I went through that bottle quickly, and I'm going to go through this one quickly as well. It's a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, aged a dozen years and triple distilled. 

Nose: Wow, that is a sherried Scotch. Oloroso sherry comes right off the top in thick waves of delicious red, fortified fruit. Honey and vanilla are heavier and sit beneath the sherry. Citrus elements - after a few tries, I got sweet thick oranges, like those orange slice candies you buy in bulk at the grocery. There is a strong floral element as well, like roses. This is one of the most pleasant noses I've ever come across - it is the almost exact opposite of the Port Charlotte Peat Project from the other day. 

Mouthfeel: Thin and a little oily, coats the tongue well. 

Palate: A wonderful, skilful correlation between nose and palate, as you get every promise fulfilled - luscious sherry fruit, sweet oranges, bright thick honey and thin, sharp vanilla. The floral scent resolves into a tremendous woodland note that rolls off the honey. The bourbon elements appear as the flavor evolves on your tongue - caramel, and lots of giant marshmallow, as in the Classic. Everything is in perfect balance, and avoids being cloying in any way (probably due to the thin mouthfeel, at 40% ABV). 

Finish: ...aaaaand there's the rest of the bourbon, as a drying oak vanilla flavor takes over and dries everything out, in a good way. So what the sherry starts the bourbon finishes. A touch of smoke on the finish as well, and maybe a touch of the toasted almond note I got in the Classic. Elegant. 

Verdict: This, like the Edradour 10 Year, tastes much older than the actual dozen years it's been aging. In a blind test I would have guessed 15 years, and now I'm very curious what their 18 Year offering is like. I suspect the triple distillation has a lot to do with this - smooths out the flavors, calms down any younger elements, tames the alcohol burn. It works. This is very definitely Recommended. 

Link to the Auchentoshan 12 Year website: http://www.auchentoshan.com/products/our-range/12-year-old.aspx