My first sip of the new Travel Retail Auchentoshans, and I start at the high end of the range. I have samples of (I believe) Heartwood and Springwood sitting in my cupboard waiting to be explored.
The Solera is a bit of a strange bottling. There’s no age and barely any other information apart that it’s finished on PX sherry casks. The colour betrays that a little bit since there isn’t much else that can get a whisky this orange.
I’m not even sure whether or not this whisky is made using a Solera system. That means, having a really big vat and topping it up with new casks whenever you have drawn some bottles. It is used in the sherry industry and in some small segments of the whisky world too. Glenfiddich uses it for their 15 year old Solera.
Auchentoshan Solera
Sniff:
The PX sherry is abundant right away! Lots of fruit, banana, orange, raisins and sweet sherry. I also get a bit of a creamy, caramely butter scent with milk chocolate.
Sip:
Sweet and gently fruity. Dry with orange and chocolate, those wedges you buy in a good Belgian chocolate shop. Thick and syrupy, with light tropical fruits too.
Swallow:
The finish continues down this path but it, if possible, even more fruity. Again with the milk chocolate, butter caramel and orange.
This is, however you put it, absolutely delicious Auchentoshan. I don’t get much of the original distillery character, that is overpowered by the cask. However, in this case I like it nonetheless. The orange fruity notes are absolutely stunning and right in my alley.
Drawback, it’s kind of expensive. I don’t mind paying for whisky but I do like some information and with this one, apart from being finished in PX casks, there is absolutely no info at all. I find that weird.
This concludes our series of the Spring Tasting at De Whiskykoning. A really great whisky tasting of some new and some old Lowlands drams. This Auchentoshan Solera won top honours for me, with a good runner up in the Littlemill. Thanks Rob, for hosting this!
Auchentoshan Solera, 48%, PX sherry casks, € 169 at De Whiskykoning.
Malt Fascination 
Auchentoshan did NOT use the solera system to create this one, but merely hinted at it with the name. Having said that, I completely agree that it is a stunning Auchentoshan, despite the high price tag. My notes can be found at http://www.markdermul.be/toshanman/tasted/20120906solera.html. Enjoy!
What do you think about Auchentoshan in general ?
Kind of dram you like ?
There are quite a few good ones out there, but a lot of the bottlings are kind of boring. Stuff like this is stellar, but ‘normal’ (10 year old refill bourbon) isn’t really impressive.
Where did u get this mate? never tried it. any left?
Tasted it at a Lowlands tasting at that shop we went to last year. He does pretty awesome tastings.
Gal, you need a sample? My bottle is halfway, but I am more than willing to spare you one.
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