Auchentoshan 22 The Good Spirits Co.

Thanks to a friend for sharing this dram!

People who follow me on various social media type things, or at least read my reviews, know that there’s a special place in my heart for Lowlands. I can’t say why I love drinking flowers. Perhaps it’s due to something that happened to me as a child. Granted I don’t remember a brother-Rabbit-like situation that involved throwing me in a flower patch, nor having to then apologize and scrub said situation from my past. But enough about Disney, what are we drinking?

Well, we have a cask strength, ex-bourbon (maybe?) Auchentoshan with quite a few summers behind it. Yes, it’s Auchentoshan 22 The Good Spirits Co.

But here’s the thing: This came from someone who typically isn’t the biggest fan of Auchentoshan. So who will reign supreme? Luckily we’re not in an Iron Chef match and the special ingredient isn’t Auchentoshan. That’s their bartending thing, and the two of us are in different areas.

So let’s see how this tastes, shall we?

Price: No longer available

Region: Lowland

Bottle No: 64 of 123

Abv: 48.3%

Colour: 10YR 4/6

Nose: Toffee, papaya, straw, stewed nutmeg nectarine

Interesting toffee and tropical fruit nose. Has some unique, cooked off fruit notes. Like making jam. And if you haven’t made jam, you’re missing out.

Get a grandma to show you. They love the attention. And teaching people.

Taste: Green oak, tangerine, coconut, popcorn, caramel

So take a younger whisky that’s been in a virgin oak cask. Okay, have that in mind? Imagine it could keep all of those green oak and butter forward aspects, with the dry wood, yet without that general “still tastes like cereal” aspect? Then this does that.

Somehow after 22 years, this one cask hit those notes. It’s an odd one. Definitely not hitting those floral aspects that I’m used to (yet). Closer to a younger, hyper-aged virgin oak cask whisky.

Finish: Violets, macaroons, sugarcane, tangerine

The finish is the only part that I’d say is typical Auchentoshan. Fruit, sweet, and floral. What I look for in a whisky, typically. When I have a Lowland, at least.

That said, the coconut aspect is still here, tying it all in. And that citrus note is quite nice too.

Conclusion: Unique. Well, for an Auchentoshan this is unique. I think the moniker “If you haven’t liked other Auchentoshans before, try this” is apt. Overall this acts like a younger virgin cask whisky than anything else, save for the finish that hints at the true distillery.

So if either of those things is up your alley, or if you love a buttery taste, then yeah. Grab this. Otherwise, run for the hills and change your name. The only option.

83/100

Scotch review #956, Lowland review #40, Whisky Network review #1509