Auchentoshan 18 Year Old takes the distillery's soft, triple-distilled spirit and gives it eighteen years in ex-bourbon American oak and Spanish oloroso sherry oak. It is deeper and oakier than the younger malts, while keeping the Lowland lightness.
About This Whisky
Eighteen years is a long time for such a light spirit, and the wood shows. Ex-bourbon American oak brings vanilla and soft sweetness, while Spanish oloroso sherry casks add depth and a nutty, faintly savoury edge. The triple-distilled spirit keeps it fresh rather than heavy, so the extra age reads as texture and length more than power. It is bottled at 43%.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Tobacco leaf, followed by some sweetness, layered with a hint of caramelised sugar, green tea and almonds.
- Palate: A smooth whisky taste with a vibrant freshness and a burst of sweet barley at first, which gently ebbs to reveal a tangy zestiness.
- Finish: Long, lingering and well balanced.
Serving & Food
Try it neat with three drops of water, or on the rocks with two or three cubes and a twist of orange or lemon peel. Good food matches are roast chicken with tarragon, a cheddar and apple plate, or green tea financiers.
How to Enjoy
Fans of mature, unpeated Scotch, and a considered gift for a whisky drinker who prefers elegance to power.
Product Details
Producer: Auchentoshan
Region: Lowlands, Scotland
Age: 18 years
Maturation: Ex-bourbon American oak and Spanish oloroso sherry oak
Style: Triple-distilled single malt Scotch whisky
ABV: 43%
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Corn merchant John Bulloch built Auchentoshan in 1823, and it passed through several owners before Glasgow distillers J. & G. MacLachlan bought it in 1877. During the Clydebank Blitz of 1941 several warehouses were hit, and a bomb crater behind the distillery now serves as a cooling-water pond.
Eadie Cairns rebuilt the site from 1969, Morrison Bowmore bought it in 1984, and Suntory took full control of Morrison Bowmore in 1994. Today the distillery belongs to Suntory Global Spirits.