The Toshan Man

After the single cask release bottled for China in 2017 (which took close to military maneuvers to get a bottle to Belgium) another single cask was bottled in 2018, this time for Singapore. Getting that one to Belgium was even more crazy. After I found out about the release, I put a cry for help on Facebook. Keith Chong from Singapore got in touch saying he could help, while Davide Romano – yes, the fellow behind Valinch & Mallet with which I have been friends for a couple of years – told me he was about to travel there. I brought Keith and Davide together and the latter offered to be the smuggler courier to bring the bottle back to Europe. The corona debacle meant that it still took quite a few weeks to get the bottle to Belgium, but at last it’s home. It’s an Auchentoshan from 1987 that matured for three decades on a sherry butt.

Oh, boy, here we go again… deep, sweet, delicious sherried nose on all kinds of dark fruit. Truly succulent, this one! Old leather, dusty books, prune in a stew, rhubarb marmalade, fresh figs, chocolate, candied apricots, fresh orange juice, espresso with cocoa powder, maraschino cherries, cigar box and on and on it goes… But best of all (at least for me): Auchentoshan remains recognizable! That is often different with these types of casks. This is home-coming for me.

Nicely oily. Immediately spicy on nutmeg and cloves with a big hint of cinnamon and a prickle of the alcohol, but that is immediately extinguished by dark fruit juices with plums in the lead. Add some chewing tobacco and rum-raisins, a dollop of maple syrup and a handful of walnuts and the party is in full swing. What an outstanding cask!

The finish is very long, remains dark, sweet and spicy.

I am so happy with this one! It cost me an arm and a leg, but YOLO, dramit! Now… at the end of 2019 another single cask from 1987 was released for Taiwan, 31 years of age. Boy, oh boy, they sure know how to keep me busy. It’s a good thing I knew some good people down there. The hunt is open.