The Toshan Man

Clearly Auchentoshan Style

During our visit of the Auchentoshan Distillery, we were able to taste some new make spirit. At Auchentoshan, the tradition of triple distillation is maintained, which delivers a lighter, more delicate spirit. Contrary to most distilleries, Auchentoshan's low wines are not pumped into the spirit still, but are charged into the intermediate still for a second distillation.  They thus increase the strength up to about 55%, before charging that into the spirit still.

Because of that fact, the new make spirit has a staggering ABV of 81% (the more common strength lies between 66% and 72%).

Triple distillation makes for more interaction with the copper and gives a cleaner, less sour and less sulphury, more delicate and healthier spirit.

The nose is (unsurprisingly) extremely clean and crisp and very typical for Auchentoshan: delicate, sweet, floral... The only off-note, if you can call it that, is something that reminds me of cauliflower.

With an ABV of 81%, I only took a very small sip. Even that was very powerful, but not scorching. Auchentoshan spirit is already clearly delicate and smooth.

The finish was crisp, warming and hot. I believe this spirit is going places!

At the end of the tour, Head Distillery Jeremy Stephen (who has become a personal friend, I might add), was kind enough to give my friend Niek and me a bottle of New Make Spirit (mine has an ABV of 79,1%) that was distilled on the 22nd of September, just prior to the floods they experienced.