Auchentoshan Distillery

Auchentoshan Distillery
Dalmuir
Clydebank
Glasgow G81 4SJ

Lowlands, Scotland - Active

Flavour profile

Sweet and light, that's Auchentoshan for me. Some nice dessert flavours - raisins, honey, and vanilla dominate, but there's a whole host of other flavours too, floral, fruit and even vegetal. I especially like the slight hint of leather. It's proof that triple distilling doesn't take away all the interesting flavours!

Auchentoshan whisky tends to be light, almost airy on the tongue. It's a pretty good aperitif, and the flavours are ethereal, silky and tend to tickle the palate. The lightness of the whisky also lends itself well to wood maturation. That's certainly where the brown paper (almost brandy-like) comes from, along with the orange peel, and perhaps the lemons too. I suppose too much wood would drown the whisky's characteristics, but I've not found one like that yet.


All the Auchentoshans I've tasted so far are here.

Auchentoshan 10 yo - good
Auchentoshan 1973 29 yo (1973/2003) - very good
SMWS 5.22 (Auchentoshan 9 yo 1999/2008) - very good
Auchentoshan 21 yo - good
Auchentoshan Three Wood - good

Distillery history

Auchentoshan was granted its official licence in 1823, although it may be identical to Duntocher (first mentioned around 1800). It was founded by John Bulloch, passed through the hands of owners named Filshie and Maclachlan, and finally fell into the hands of Stanley Morrison, eventually the owner of Morrison Bowmore. Morrison Bowmore still own the distillery today. It is the only Scottish distillery still making the whisky by triple distillation (where the low wines are distilled twice before being passed to the spirit still for final distillation). The distillery was silent during World War II.

Auchentoshan was a major part of Rob Roy, although production these days is mainly for single malts. There are 6 expressions in the core range - Classic (no age statement), Select (no age statement), the 12 yo, the 18 yo, the 21 yo and the Three Wood (matured in bourbon, oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks).

Potted distillery facts

Water source: Loch Katrine
Washbacks: Four, Oregon pine, 38,000 litres each
Wash stills: One, constricted neck, 17,300 litres.
Spirit stills: One, constricted neck, 11,000-12,000 litres
Spirit still Lyne arm: nearly 5 degrees descending
Production per year: 1,800,000 litres

- The Scottish Whisky Distilleries, Misako Udo