Auchroisk 8 Year (SMWS 95.46 "Earthy and Mysterious")

 

Something is going on with Auchroisk over at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). This is my third bottle from that distiller, and all three have been re-racked into wine casks at a really young age, and then released after a pretty short finishing period. This bottle, coded 95.46 by the SMWS and nicknamed "Earthy and Mysterious" is the oldest at 8 years (!). Released as part of the annual Speyside Festival, as part of their "spicy and sweet" profile. 

I can only guess what might be happening - a series of bad/flavorless initial casks, with red wine casks used to mask/rectify them? After five years in ex-bourbon, this cask was re-racked into a second-fill charred red wine barrique (!) for the final three years. Which is a curious thing all by itself...

I quite enjoyed the last two Auchroisk bottlings with red wine finishes, and expect to like this one. Bottled at a robust 61.3%, the official tasting notes have high promise:

The nose had spun sugar, vanilla slice, preserved plums, Morello cherries, crème de cassis, red wine lees and Barolo Chinato, also some earthy notes – half-smoked cigar, forest floor, leather. The palate conveyed dark sweetness – maple candy, overdone donut, baklava, cherry cake, etc. – but still that earthy, almost mysterious element – charred blackcurrant twigs, New York hot-dogs, oily wood and olive skins. In reduction – tea chests, wine vaults and Black Forest gateau soaked in kirsch on the nose, while the palate combined sharp, zesty notes with prune juice, mulled wine and goulash. After five years in ex-bourbon wood we transferred this into a charred red wine barrique.

I am most excited to read about the forest floor, the leater, the half-smoked cigar... and also the charred blackcurrant twigs combined with New York hot dogs (!!!). Let's see how it does. 

Nose: The neck pour confirms the official notes to a large degree: vanilla, red wine, plums, cherries, creme de cassis with big notes that come and go of earthiness. It's very complex, very rich, and very voluptuous. With some water and additional time in the glass, if softens a little but remains largely the same. The earthiness resolves a little bit into wood and leather, perhaps. 

Mouthfeel: Highly viscous. 

Palate: Wow, this is heady stuff. A ton of alcohol burn leads into a darkly sweet (and almost rum-like) flavor development full of sugar and sweet red fruit (overripe plums and cherries). I don't get the hot dogs, but I do get the oily wood, olive notes, and the charred blackcurrants. This is quite rich, following the nose. With water and time the alcohol burn eases up, but the flavor does not: spiced Christmas plums, warm pepper and wood, hot dog water (not kidding!), leather jackets, vanilla, and a distinct note of extra virgin olive oil. Better with water, maybe. 

Finish: On the shorter side of medium. Tobacco leaf, leather, a little smoke (?!), and red wine tannins combine for a short burst of flavor at the end. Perhaps even macerated raspberries. 

Verdict: This is probably my favorite of the three red-wine finished Auchroisk bottlings I've had from the SMWS. Intriguingly, I feel like each bottle has been a little bit better, a little more complex than the last one. I'm curious if they have any more of these red-wine re-racks up their sleeves! At $100, it's easy to recommend this one.