Auchentoshan Springwood

Well, Spring is here and to celebrate we’ve got a perfectly suited Lowland whisky – the Auchentoshan Springwood. Delicate, full of citrus, sherbet and vanilla. Just the dram to watch the sunset with as the days get warmer. This month is part one of a two part ‘series’ in which we’ll explore two different expressions from one distillery. As always, it will be interesting to get a side-by-side insight into the effects of different oaks on the same same raw spirit.

As an extra bonus – both this months and Novembers malts are 1L in size!  So invite an extra friend to your next Saturday afternoon tasting and lets crack on with the Auchentoshan Springwood and Heartwood side-by-side comparison.

Auchentoshan is a lowland distillery in the outskirts of Glasgow, established in 1800 and now owned by Suntory.  This distillery is unique in Scotland using triple distillation i all their whiskies.  Springbank in Campbelltown use a partial triple distillation, which is why Auchentoshan so boldly make their claim, “Every single drop triple distilled”.  This triple distillation has the benefits of refining spirit down to a very pure alcohol, ensuring the elimination of unpleasant methanol and acetone.

Together with Bladnoch and Glenkinchie, low land single malt whiskies have distinct flavour profiles, with a characteristic dryness on the palate.

The Auchentoshan Springwood is a new line from Auchentoshan who have moving away from their traditional 10, 12, etc expressions and towards non-age statement whiskies finished in various oaks.  This is the first expressions which has been aged 5 to 9 years in American, ex Bourbon barrels.

The nose was a little surprising, with fresh cream being the first impression, but quickly the lemon and citrus character came through.  Citrus is an unusual flavour in single malts, but this one tastes of lemon sherbet and sorbets with strong vanilla.  It is a lovely enchanting whisky in a very different style to the heavier, peaty whiskies.  It has a lovely light cleanness to it.  There is the characteristic dryness of lowland whiskies in the mid palate and a warm lingering.

This is a spring time whisky, perfect for spring evenings.