Auchentoshan 14 Cadenheads Small Batch

Thanks to /u/PeatReeks for this sample.

Apologies to myannoyingopinions.com for stealing your image.

I like Lowlands. There aren’t many Lowlands. I’ve had a lot from Auchentoshan.

Yup, that sums up a lot of my reviews for Lowland whiskies. Let’s try something different.

Maybe talk about being behind on reviews? No, wait I’ve played that card too many times.

Pop Culture references? Been awhile since I’ve done them. Little bit different. I am watching Netflix right now, while trying to catch up.

Random moments of my life? That kinda works.

Baking is a very interesting part of my life. At first, I thought everyone baked. I believed everyone had a dessert, fresh made, almost every week. Their mom was the baker.

As I grew up, and found out more about my friends, it turned out that was not ubiquitous. Turns out I, a fat kid, lived in a house that was lucky, and not the norm.

Auchentoshan 14 Cadenheads Small Batch reminds me of baking, which I still do. I’m not amazing at it, however I can make some decent brownies or cookies. So maybe that’s why I like Auchentoshan. Not the floral aspects, but the baking aspects.

Let’s get to the tasting notes, shall we?

Price: N/A in Ontario

Region: Lowland

Abv: 55.1%

Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon barrel

Colour: 5Y 8/6

Nose: Lilacs, smoke, doughnut, vanilla frosting, lemon, sea salt, grassy

Initially I’m thinking this is like other Auchentoshan’s, however it opens into more than just floral/grassy notes. There’s a complexity to it that has yeast, sweets, and the right amount of citrus.

Taste: Lemon, cumin, ginger, jelly beans, grassy, oil, salty, woody, bread

More citrus, yet there’s this gummy, sweet, and all around earthy. Good mouth feel as well. Not as complex as the nose was, and the yeast has lost some of it’s luster.

I’m nit picking though. Very tasty.

Finish: Butter, rich leather, like wearing silk, pear, sugar bread, lemon icing, gravel

Finish is the best part. Actually sets off a little memory. Very smooth, while still having some complexity.

Gravel isn’t the best here, however even some models have beauty marks.

Conclusion: I’m a sucker for a cask strength Auchentoshan. This is one of the really good ones. It straddles the line between 15 year smoothness and a younger whisky brashness. Complex, buttery/smokey/bready, and smooth. Yes, if you don’t like overly sweet whiskes, this isn’t for you.

It is unbalanced. There’s a “dirty” finish at the end that I’m not loving. And the taste slightly doesn’t live up to the nose. However this is a good dram, and I’d buy a bottle, if I could.

85/100

Scotch review #351, Lowland review #24, Whisky Network review #535