Auchentoshan 21 Year

Aroma: Features lightly resinous wood, cedar, some vanilla, and a chocolate note. It's malty and grainy, more satisfying than any other Auchentoshan I've smelled. There's also a fresh white bread, madeira cake, or panettone scent along with bergamot and ginger. It’s pleasant and fresh rather than aged. Palate: The palate doesn't live up to the aroma's promise. It's similarly fresh but the initial taste is a straightforward combination of young cereal flavors, green grass, and mild herbs, tasting very young. If I had tasted this blind, I never would have guessed its 21 years. There are agreeable malty notes, but no complexity, and like all Auchentoshans I've sampled, the wood influence feels intrusive. It's simultaneously immature and muddled. The texture is acceptable, slightly oily and silken. Finish: Short. Notes of ginger cake, pine resin, and some grassy flavors. I must admit I'm not a fan of Auchentoshan whisky at all. There's a specific note in their new-make spirit that reminds me of pine-tree sap, and I find it permeates every aspect of all their expressions. When combined with cask influence, the resinous note intensifies, and the more varied and complex the casking, the worse it becomes for me. I'm sure this isn't a common viewpoint, as many people enjoy this distillery's offerings. It's likely some obscure association I have with a particular ester that triggers my aversion to resin. However, Auchentoshan confounds me once again. The aroma is quite pleasant, not commanding, but time has considerably softened the resin note. Yet, on the palate, it's just a young and forgettable malt. There's nothing actively bad about it, but I couldn't find anything that deserved high praise either. Tasted from a 30ml sample, thanks to a friend for the tasting sample. It's not a whisky I would ever have purchased as an experiment, especially considering its seemingly high price. "Average": 79/100 (2.75 stars)

I acquired this bottle from an acquaintance looking to reduce his spirits collection. This "Limited Release A" bottling is regarded as one of the finest examples of Lowland-style whiskies available. It's bottled at a rather unimpressive 43% ABV and displays a deep gold hue in the Glencairn glass. After a generous swirl and some time, it slowly formed thin legs and left small beads of liquid around the rim. The aroma is characteristic of Auchentoshan: honey and floral notes, with little else. It was very mild, showing almost no barrel influence. I detected a faint hint of oak spice only with a deep inhale, but overall, it was a reserved aroma. The palate was also exceptionally mild, initially oaky yet smooth. Light berry and vanilla notes lingered on the tongue. Overall, the sipping experience was quite dull. There's also no warmth due to the low alcohol content. The finish was brief, providing a gentle warmth upon exhalation, concluding with some wood tannins and worn leather. In summary, this bottle was a failure. I should note, however, that I primarily recorded my observations while drinking the final dram about a month after opening it. I don't recall it being this uninteresting initially or as I progressed through it. I simply consumed it regularly as a daily dram and was content with that. I can't imagine it justifying the current price of $135 or more, nor the $100 I paid on discount. It's a solid, inoffensive whiskey that can be found elsewhere for significantly less. The only advantage of this bottle was its age statement, which could be used to impress uninformed friends or colleagues. Seek better quality elsewhere. Rated 2.75-3 stars.

Sometimes I have a negative preconception of certain distilleries before I even taste their product. However, you could also look at it this way: the lower your expectations, the more likely they are to be met or surpassed. My highest score for this distillery is 3.4, and this barely beats it, maybe a 3.5. The tasting notes from The Whiskey Exchange are spot on. It has a pleasant nutty oiliness, citrus, grass, and honey, but an underlying oaky bitterness is off-putting. It did lessen as I drank more of the sample, so it's hard to say how a full bottle might turn out, but at $200 USD in New Zealand, I won't be finding out. I have another sample, so perhaps another day, another dram, and a different score.

The nose is full of fruity notes, mainly muted berries and floral scents. Clear sherry cask influence. The palate is also fruity, with honey and acidity; I found it harsh for a 21-year-old. I anticipated a more mellow palate. Perhaps it's my first drink after a long break, but the unexpected sharpness for its age and moderate alcohol content caught me off guard. I tried it with a bit of water and also on ice. It still didn't really reveal itself. It had intensely sweet, in-your-face candy flavors with significant bite, and unfortunately, I wasn't fond of it. To be honest, I prefer the 12 and the triple wood expressions.

A complex yet outstanding whisky. The nose is dominated by a strong note of dehydrated orange. The palate is like pure velvet, featuring honey and dark chocolate, along with candied orange. The finish is long and sweet, with honey being the most prominent flavor. An exceptional drink. _____________________________________________________________________________ Whisky complesso ma eccellente. Al naso forte d’arancia disidratata, predominante su tutto il resto. Al palato puro velluto, miele e cioccolato fondente, ed arancia candita. Finale lungo e dolce, predomina il miele. Bevuta eccezionale.

I sampled a 3cl version of this that I purchased. I regret not buying the whole bottle. I had previously been underwhelmed by this Lowlander, but I stand corrected by its 21-year-old iteration. The aroma is gently vanilla. However, the taste is where I believe it truly excels. I detected lemon custard pudding and sweet cream. I consumed half of it with just a drop of water, and the other half with a small ice cube. I would advise against having it with ice, as the lemon custard transforms into bitter lemon rinds. I'm uncertain about the price of a full bottle, but it's well worth it if it's reasonably priced.