Auchentoshan 31 Year Old 1991 Whisky Sponge Ed. 84 Single Refill Cask (2023) 70cl
1 of only 179 bottles
Behold: Whisky Sponge Edition No.84, a single 2nd fill barrel of Auchentoshan 1991 bottled at natural cask strength and 31 years of age.
Auchentoshan is, of course, usually rather boring and flimsy. However, this cask displayed an abnormal abundance of ripe fruits, honey, dried flowers and even soft waxy notes. In other words, loads of lovely, slightly old school, mature malt whisky character. Probably the best Auchentoshan we’ve ever tried, largely by virtue of being not too much like Auchentoshan.
If you are a fan of Auchentoshan, please be aware, this whisky may have too much flavour and charisma for you.
If you are a fan of flavoursome, mature and fruity malt whiskies, please sip this carefully while sitting in an oversize safety armchair and wearing a cycle helmet and a life jacket.
Tasting Notes
Nose : immediately vibrant and fruity, with elements that recall slightly old school, oily old Irish whiskey. Then big notes of honey, green fruit jams and olive oil, even a little soft waxiness which adds richness.
Palate : beautiful arrival, full of ripe yellow and green fruits, with hints of dry waxes, flowers, pollens, tropical fruit teas and grassy olive oil. Rich, fruity, textural and yet still with great balance and freshness.
Finish : long, fruity, more on dried flowers with pollens, crystallised honeys and waxes.
About Auchentoshan
Auchentoshan’s claim to fame is that it is the only distillery in Scotland which exclusively uses triple distillation.
The wash still operates as per normal, while the spirit coming from the intermediate still is split into two, with only the high-strength ‘heads’ being carried forward for the final distillation. The low-strength ‘tails’ are mixed with the next distillation from the wash still.
The ‘heads’ are then mixed with the ‘feints’ from the previous spirit still distillation and a cut with an average strength of 81% is taken. A short fermentation gives Auchentoshan a cereal note which acts as a grounding flavour during maturation as well as balancing the high-toned citric notes. Its high strength means that it can easily be overpowered by oak. Consequently, the older the expression, the more ‘relaxed’ the wood influence is.
Legal whisky-making started here on the banks of the Clyde in 1817 when the Duntocher distillery was built by John Bulloch. Like many early start-ups it had a chequered early history and Bulloch went bankrupt soon after. It wasn’t to put his family off however. His grandson co-founded one of the 19th century’s most famous blending and broking firms, Bulloch Lade.
It was bought in 1834 by John Hart and Alexander Filshie who changed its name to Auchintoshan [sic]. The Filshie’s sold up in 1875 to a local grain merchant and again like so many stills, ‘Auchie’ spent almost a century being passed from one owner to another. During the Clyde Blitz of 1941 a warehouse was hit, sending a stream of blazing whisky into the river. A bomb crater has been turned into the distillery pond.
It was one of a number of distilleries purchased by brewers in the 1960s – in Auchie’s case Glasgow-based Tennant’s were owners from 1960 to 1969 when they offloaded it to a publican, Eadie Cairns. The upgraded distillery was then sold to Stanley P Morrison in 1984. It is now part of Beam Suntory. A new visitor facility was built in 2004.
Unusually, all of its production is used for single malt.
About Decadent Drinks
"Decadent Drinks" is the name of a Scottish independent bottler of fine spirits like whisky, rum, cognac, and wine, known for its fun, creative, and sometimes satirical approach to bottling, featuring original artwork on its labels and a range of products including its original Whisky Sponge brand and other brands like Whiskyland and Decadent Drams.
53.6% ABV
70cl
