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Whisk(e)y Reviews
August 2021
with
Auchentoshan Three Wood
Auchentoshan distillery is an urban facility in the heart of Glasgow. They enjoy boasting of being the only scotch in which every drop is triple distilled. This results in a higher starting ABV, about 81%. Auchentoshan says that this makes the flavors show through more clearly. Lowland scotch often gets ignored, in favor of the higher profile Speyside, Highland, and Islay regions. In the case of Auchentoshan, that would be a mistake.
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Three Wood is an NAS (non--age statement) whisky. This means that the minimum age of the whisky is not disclosed. But, Three Wood is aged in three different types of casks, which certainly takes a while. So, while we don’t know the exact age, we do know that it is first matured in American Oak ex--bourbon barrels, moved to Spanish Oloroso Sherry casks, and ends its maturation in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks. It is bottled at 43%
Nose:
The nose is rich with spiced butter, dried orchard fruit, and cocoa. There is an underlying nuttiness and just a hint of paprika and allspice.
Palate:
Layers of dried orchard fruit greet you, bringing plums, raisins, and red apple, riding on the butter notes of the nose. The nuttiness of the nose returns and turns into oak, chocolate, and cinnamon. The flavors are clean and clear. Perhaps they are correct about the effect of the triple distilling. The late palate becomes dry, as if the nuts in the flavor are pulling the moisture from the other notes.
Finish:
Oak and cinnamon linger fairly long, while the hint of chocolate and fruit dies more quickly. The last notes fade dryly away.
Overall score: 80/100
Recommendation: Try before you buy due to its unique character, but definitely try.
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This is a worthy pour and deserves a try. It is not very similar to the most popular scotch brands, but offers something interesting and rich.