The Toshan Man

This time I had no need to use my connections at Auchentoshan to get my hands on the new distillery cask release, because Pascal and Ellen – two close friends – visited my beloved Auchentoshan early October. They send me a message ‘Shall we bring this for you?’. Obviously. And they did. You can only buy this if you visit the distillery. It is another one of those oloroso casks, which I really like. They are always very good to simply excellent. Remember sister cask #4389 that I recently tried? This one is very dark and clings to the glass.

Potpourri, molded wood, autumn leaves and old bicycle tires… Bull’s eye is what this nose is. Some cloves and cinnamon precede dark and sweet figs and dried plums. Some sniffing tobacco and even something umami. Finally some stone fruit. I’m very fond of this.

Nicely creamy on the palate and the first thing you notice is the dark and sweet, almost syrupy taste, followed immediately by black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and liquorice. Sugared orange peel, espresso, maple syrup, a bit of eucalyptus and apricot jam. Boy, oh, boy, this is a liquid dessert with balls. But believe me, water is not needed.

The finish is wonderfully long, warmly seasoned and deliciously sweet.

The difference with cask #4389 is small, but it’s there. This one is a tad more accessible. And to think it is not even 10 years old. Unbelievable!