4 Auchroisks at low strength

Auchroisk is a rather young distillery established as recently as 1974. I'll try OB versions from 1975 and 1976 in this session alongside two more recent ones. Because of problems with the pronounciation the whisky from Auchroisk Distillery was earlier named "The Singleton". Today The Singleton is used for Glendullan and Dufftown and a couple more, distilleries that Diageo is perhaps not the most proud of presenting single malt bottlings of.



The Singleton of Auchroisk NAS 1975 40% OB

Distilled just one year after the opening of the distillery. The back label states that the whiskies in the mix here has all been mellowing in spanish sherry casks. The color is light brown. It smells spirity, sweet spirity cinnamon and grenadine. The taste is sweet, cinnamon, leather, dark grapes, rum, heather, honey, kiwi, licorice. Very nice old style whisky. I recognize that the casks are doing most of the talking here, but that's not a problem as long as the casks are good. I'd like to try a young cask strength bourbon-matured Auchroisk.

Smooth and light sherried whisky: 5


The Singleton of Auchroisk NAS 1976 43% OB

They found 40%abv. too low after the first OB bottling, and that shows a craving for quality products from the distilleries side. This one claims to come all from spanish sherry wood as well, but the color is a bit lighter, more of an orange hue. It smells peppery and nutty, marzipan and rum. I do like this rum-like sweetness I find in these Auchroisk's. Perhaps its a result of the short period of fermentation they do in the production at Auchroisk. The taste is heather, rum, cinnamon, raisins, honey, light and sweet. Once again I like this whisky very much, but it lacks an edge to really impress me.

3%abv. more makes for a whisky with a bit more stamina: 5.5


The Singleton of Auchroisk NAS 1981 43% OB

Same color as the 1976, also matured in spanish sherry casks. It smells strong, more honey and black pepper here, along with some herbal notes. Grassy, much less sherry notes as far as I can recognize. The taste is burnt caramel, peppery, almonds, more oaky notes and some very light heathery notes. Whipped cream and marzipan is also in the mix. Once again I find a light and sweet whisky that has little or no flaws but just lacks the character to reach a higher score.

A desert malt, one to sprinkle on top of your ice cream: 5


Auchroisk 12yo 1993-2005 43% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail

This should be a bit different. A miniature woth a small mention on the label statinge "These whiskies are known as the Premier Cru of single malt scotsh..." continuing with some tasting notes. I do not know why G&M would use some fancy french wine-slang on their very modest CC-series. And I like the phrase "These whiskies..." I do not think there is another IB-series which varies as much in quality as the CC-series. Anyway, lets try it then. The color is of light wine. It smells sweet, vanilla, banana cream liqueur, bailey's, camphor, a totally different profile this time, and surely from a bourbon cask. The taste is sweet, light, oaky, vanilla, gin, not much whisky in this whisky (?...). It reminds me a bit of some older standard Fettercairns 10yo. Very light, malty, nutty and fresh. I have no problem with this because it is flawless, but it just needs to be spiced up a bit to draw some attention I think. Cask strength would've done the trick perhaps?

It's not Premier Cru, but its surely a good dram: 5



Next tasting: 2xKnockdhu, 2xKnockando, 2xMannochmore & 2xCardhu Distillery