Auchentoshan - Three Wood

Today I get to try the Auchentoshan Three wood. This will be my first post for a Lowland whisky. Lowland whiskies tend to be light and subtle. I have heard that they can be a good choice for whisky newbies. I tend to use Speyside whiskies for those introductions; yet this is likely to be only because I don’t have many Lowland style whiskies to choose from locally.  There aren’t very many distilleries in the Lowland region either. In fact Auchentoshan is only one of two major distilleries in the region; the other being Glenkinchie. Auchentoshan is located close to Glasgow while its’ main regional competitor is closer to Edinburgh. Of the two Glenkinchie is commonly considered to be the classic malts Lowland representative.    

After just having enjoyed a lovely steak dinner I am in the mood to relax. So for todays’ entry I have opted to listen to Leo Kottkes’ – One Guitar, No Vocals. This instrumental album is loaded with incredible acoustic guitar work. Leos’ playing is awe inspiring in its complexity and relaxing and dream like in its subtlety. I thought based on my mood and the potential for this whisky to be subtle that this would be a good pairing. Only a taste will tell.

Nose: Right away I am for some reason reminded of some Canadian whiskies. It is light and sweet on the nose. I detect a sharp sherry note. This is joined by orange and a strong scent of vanilla custard. A dusty hint of wood also presents itself. Other than that lingering sharpness there is a pleasant creaminess to this nose.

Palate: Charred wood comes out initially, followed by creamy notes of raisin, date and other dark dried fruit.

Finish. The finish is long. Strong notes of coffee and some smoky wood linger.

I was a little apprehensive going into this tasting. I have heard a lot of reviews on this whisky that range from awful to glorious. I have also heard a lot of negative reviews based on the consistency of this dram. I can’t speak to the consistency but I can say that I really enjoyed this whisky; so much so that I am going to add it to my wish list. Another reminder that if a whisky sounds interesting but the reviews are negative it may still be worth a try. As for the pairing it is one of the best yet. The smooth complex guitar arrangements complement the character of the whisky nicely.

Well until next time enjoy the music.