The Toshan Man

Grain & Ginger

The latest Provenance-bottling, from McGibbon’s, which is actually part of Douglas Laing, was a gift from my friend Chris Leggat, former Auchentoshan ambassador and since a few weeks the son-in-law of Fred Laing (the lucky bastard). He sent me the bottle to be poured at a recent Toshan Man Tasting that I hosted.

The nose is classic Auchentoshan, meaning a malty heart in a jacket of freshly cut grass and loads of citrus fruit. Spicier than your average Toshan, it is true. Grain and ginger, those are the lead notes.

Nicely oily and feisty on the palate. Very sweet, now. Sweet malt, close to the grain as they say so beautifully. I can actually taste the mash here. Some toffee apples and lemon juice. Midplate some more pepper and even some cloves.

The medium long finish offers up some late English candy.

Fairly straightforward Toshan. I suspect, although I am not certain, that this was a refill sherry cask.