Auchentoshan 18 Year (SMWS 5.79 "Paris in the Spring")

 The second of six drams served at the April outturn tasting for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon in Adams Morgan, Washington DC. At these events, you sit at a small table and one by one make guesses about the six scotches in front of you: age, type of cask, which distillery (multiple choice, out of five provided), along with a field to write notes. 

I confess that I do not love the official bottlings of Auchentoshan - triple-distilled scotch tends to leave me wanting, and the lowland distilleries I've tried previously have been the cause of this impression. Chief among them, Auchentoshan. So color pleasantly surprised by this one. Here are the official notes:

The scent transported us like magic into the old artist quarter of Paris in springtime. Montmartre with its lively, narrow, cobbled streets thronged with bistros, brasseries, cafes and artists getting out their easels and paint brushes. We sat down at one of the cafes and to our surprise we found a Biedermeier Torte on the menu, a rich Austrian cake consisting of layers of dark and light sponge, cranberry and quince jam and a light nougat cream filling. Diluted we ordered, along with the cake, a peppermint tea, lit up a Gauloises and found ourselves in a perfect position to watch the world go by.   

Interesting! But incorrect in a key detail: there is not even the merest hint of Gauloises in this otherwise quite nice dram. Otherwise, I'll tentatively buy into this depiction of my favorite city in its bloom. Bottled at 55.4% ABV after 18 years in a first fill bourbon barrel, let's see exactly how Parisian this is:

Nose: So sweet! Like smelling a cake. Sugar cookies, vanilla extract, caramel, white cake icing, cake batter, oaky cognac notes, malted barley, and a distinct note of strawberry Chapstick. 

Mouthfeel: Medium, soft, delicate.

Palate: Follows the nose - oaky cognac, bubble gum/tutti frutti, strawberry icing, raw cake batter, and macerated blueberries. Quite nice. 

Finish: Oak, berries, vanilla, rich chocolate truffles. Nice conclusion here. 

Verdict: Easily the best lowland scotch I've had. It's absurdly sweet, but the flavors are all sincere and don't go amiss. A dessert dram, for sure. Zero percent Gauloises. But it would be nice to sip this on a warm day in Paris. On the other hand, it would be nice to sip almost anything on a warm day in Paris. Still - a good bottle. Recommended.