Auchentoshan 21 Year Old Limited Release Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Auchentoshan 21 Year Old Limited Release Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Situated at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills in Western Scotland, Auchentoshan (pronounced Aw-khen-tosh-an) Distillery was founded in 1800 and is one of the last remaining Lowland Single Malt Whisky distilleries. The distillery is nicknamed "Glasgow's Distillery"due to its proximity to the eponymous city, and its whisky is nicknamed "breakfast whisky" due to its sweet flavor and elegant texture. During World War II, the distillery was bombed relentlessly by Germany, and much of the whisky that was being matured in its rickhouses was lost to fire or spilled into the Clyde River, which is situated adjacent to the distillery. Following the end of the war, the distillery was rebuilt and today, it remains a testament to Scottish perseverance and innovation. Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made from malted, optic barley that is gently kilned and completely unpeated. Once the barley has been malted, it is milled and mashed before being fermented in wooden washbacks made from Oregon Pine. While wooden washbacks are more expensive and difficult to maintain as compared to stainless steel washbacks, they retain a portion of the heat produced during fermentation, and ultimately produce a lighter and slightly sweeter whisky. Following fermentation, the whisky is distilled through Auchentoshan's copper pot stills. While Scotch whisky is traditionally distilled twice, Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch is distilled three times: first through a wash still, then through an intermediate still, and finally, through a spirit still. This extra distillation step no other major Scotch distillery uses an intermediate still produces a purer and more refined spirit that dramatically affects the character of the whisky produced. Auchentoshan 21 Year Old Limited Release Single Malt Scotch Whisky is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon casks and ex-Spanish sherry casks for a minimum of 21 years. The limited-edition Scotch has an aroma of ripe berries, creamy vanilla, oak, honey and mint. The aroma gives way to notes of sweet milk chocolate, honeyed oak, green apples and nutty dough, and leads to a long, elegant finish. The whisky earned a score of 91 points from Whisky Advocate, and was named F. Paul Pacult's "top choice" as the quintessential Lowland Single Malt. Pick up a bottle of Scotch whose name no one can pronounce today!