The Toshan Man
Mark Dermul
Sample trading?
If you can help me expand my whisky palate, especially Auchentoshan, get in touch with me. Much obliged!
Auchentoshan 1991 Secret Stills 3.4
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Auchentoshan
17 Year Old 1991 Secret Stills 3.4 Gordon & MacPhail No of bottles: 672 ABV : 45% Color : old gold Tasted on 02/12/2011 |
Rough
Gordon & Macphail releases whiskies under their Secret Stills label,
of which the distilleries are… err… secret. But this Lowland is
clearly Auchentoshan, for the back label reveals that it is a triple
distilled whisky, distilled at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills
overlooking the River Clyde. It
is a vatting (I should say blend) of two refill sherry hogsheads,
numbers 2908 and 2911, distilled in October 1991 and bottled in
February 2008.
Aside from quite a bit of citrus and the typical floral character of
Auchentoshan, I also get dried apricots, sweet barley, raisins,
marzipan and Cointreau. Very sweet and appealing.
It is a bit oily and spicy (cloves, cinnamon, white pepper) on the
palate. Blood oranges and caramel take center stage. But it is also
a bit spirity and rough, with a carton taste that brings it down a
few notches.
The finish is very long and spicy with toffee at the last breath.
For a 17 year old sherry matured whisky, 40 EUR is anything but expensive. It is very good, but with a loose screw, if you take my meaning.