Auchentoshan 1997 21 Year Un-Chillfiltered Collection (Signatory) The Whisky Barrel

I understand that everyone has different preferences, but for me, Auchentoshans typically lack character. I believe they need more age and exposure to robust, well-crafted casks to truly stand out. We are similar, aren't we? We are shaped by all the people we've been involved with intimately over time. Our personalities evolve with each significant relationship, incorporating aspects into our next phase. Hopefully, this accumulation defines our current selves. In the same vein, I feel Auchentoshan truly excels when it's finished or aged in casks that are much more potent than its inherent profile. This particular one, for instance, was fully matured for 21 years in a sherry cask, then bottled without chill-filtration and at cask strength. If you take something like an Ardbeg and fully mature it for 21 years in sherry cask, you might get a masterpiece or a failure due to two dominant personalities clashing. However, when you take a mild, unassuming profile like Auchentoshan and expose it to something that strengthens it, I think the result is better than the original. Out of the few Auchentoshans I've sampled, the only one I enjoyed was a wine-finished 26-year-old shared by a friend. I liked this one just as much; it likely comes down to a preference for sherry versus wine maturation/finishing. The aroma is appealing...oranges and nuts. Slightly floral. The palate is where it excels—marzipan, orange zest, Christmas cake. It's very well-crafted. And for $100, it's a bargain.

I've experienced many mediocre to poor Auchentoshan expressions; that's generally my impression of the official bottlings. Then I received a call from Santa. Ho, ho, I have a present for you... an Auchentoshan. I knew I hadn't been the best person all year, but I didn't deserve that kind of present. Santa must have noticed my expression, which was remarkable considering I was in New Zealand and he was supposedly at the North Pole. "Fear not, my flightless friend, it's a cask strength independent bottling." A thought about polishing a high ABV disappointment crossed my mind, but I figured, hey, it's probably the last gift I'll get as we're renovating our chimney next year, and he certainly won't fit through the heat pump duct. The present arrived quickly, and to get to the point, it was good, likely the finest Auchentoshan ever tasted. Raisins, rich Christmas fruits, a pleasant sherry-influenced dried oak character, and a warming finish (though it eventually became a bit drying and bitter). The end. P.S. Thanks, Santa!