The Toshan Man

Elegant

When 500 bottles of the Auchentoshan 1975 appeared on the market two years ago, I even flew out to Glasgow to pick up my bottle at the distillery. The distillate from 7 May 1975 was simply marvelous after its 35 yearlong maturation on bourbon casks. Now Rachel Barrie and her team have filled another 500 bottles from the same stock. The extra years mean it is now a 38 Year Old, explaining the price tag of £500. It has become even more fruity!

This is a fantastically fruity nose on peach, mango, mirabelles, apples and coconut, alongside vanilla ice cream, fudge and eucalyptus. The second whiff offers Granny Smith apple skins, light brown sugar and hints of Nutroma. Very soft and elegant. I can easily smell this for ten full minutes before sipping it.

It arrives very softly on the palate, with a creaminess unheard of. Some citrus, honey and white fruit up front, followed by coconut, sweet malt and sultanas. Cinnamon reports for duty. The brown sugar returns. This is amazingly soft and elegant, I said it already.

Medium long, wonderfully sweet and softly spiced finish. I am flabbergasted.

Expensive, very much so, but oh so delicious. I found the 35 Year Old to be excellent, but this one easily surpasses it. So I have no alternative but to get me a bottle of this beauty. Big thank you to Jen at Auchentoshan for the generous sample.