North Star Spirits Auchroisk Tasting Notes

North Star Spirits Auchroisk 2006 (13 year old) 51.2%

Oloroso Hogshead/ Dist: Feb 2006 Btl: Jun 2019/ Tasted: July 2019

The sherry character is very subtle on the nose. Dried apricot, sultana and citrus rind with hints of barley, sweet vanilla and toasty oak. Pleasantly balanced and fruity with a late, almost chardonnay-esque apple note appearing and the sherried dried fruit gaining a little more traction.

The palate shows a touch more raisinated fruit, treacle and edgy, grippy but supple tannins. Still well balanced with again a chardonnay-esque apple character plus beeswax, and cinnamon on the middle. Long with sweet vanilla and lingering chardonnay-esque fruit.

Mossburn Auchroisk Tasting Notes

Mossburn Distillers No10 Auchroisk 2007 (11 year old) 57.4%

Bourbon Hogshead/ Batch 10.0407.10/ Dist: 2007 Btl: Aug 2018/ Tasted: Feb 2019

Aromas of fresh and aromatic barley, white fruit and lemon. Its very mineral, almost to the point of austerity, which overall makes the nose a little neutral.

The palate is soft, if a little alcoholic with barley and citrus. There are hints of white fruit but like the nose it’s a bit neutral, which might be down to the abv. Masked, mouth-watering finish with hints of straw and bitter spice.

Water makes the nose quite straw-like. It reduces the citrus but brings out a touch of gooseberry and greengage. The palate is sweeter and shows more barley character. It’s still pretty simple though with a touch of green fruit and spice in the finish.

Mossburn Distillers No20 Auchroisk 2008 (10 year old) 59.2%

Bourbon Hogshead/ Batch 12.0608.20/ Dist: 2008 Btl: Dec 2018/ Tasted: Jun 2019

The nose is dense, dusty and barley’d with a touch of cereal, wheat-a-bix and malt. There is quite an alcohol prickle and with time hints of grapefruit, lime and minerals appear.

The palate is young and oily with hints of barley, minerals and vanilla. Some sweeter barley emerges to lighten the middle. The alcohol masks the finish but a touch of spice, vanilla and toffee does show.

Water makes the nose rather muted and overly oily. Still it is cereally and malty with hints of tangerine, camomile and earth now showing. The palate is till young and oily and like the nose maybe a bit too oily which makes the palate a tad neutral and simple.

James Eadie Auchroisk Tasting Notes

James Eadie Small Batch Auchroisk 2007 (8 year old) 46%

A vatting of 4 First Fill ASB. (817984-817987)/ Dist: 2007 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Jun 2018

The nose is gritty and barley’d with hints of aromatic tangerine, grass and toasty oak. With time the oak becomes quite buttery but a balancing, tart, green citrus note comes through.

The palate displays more of the toffee’d oak and less citrus, thus making it feel quite weighty. Still it’s pleasantly barley’d with hints of grist, malt and dusty tannins. A touch of lime and greengage does come through on the middle and the finish is long, barley’d and sweetly honeyed, although the citrus stops it being too sweet.

James Eadie Single Cask Auchroisk 2008 (10 year old) Pedro Ximinez Cask Finish 59.4%

Cask 2/1

24 months finishing in first fill PX Butt/ Dist: Sept 2008 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Mar 2019

Aromas of burnt rasin and treacly, winey notes. Sweet and aromatic with dried grape, prune and dark cherries. Lightly herbal with a touch of charred American oak appearing but the PX cask is pretty dominant. Late cardamom, liquorice and pistachio nuts.

The aplate is sweet and grapey with loads of winey treacle and dark toffee. A little flat and it does become slightly bitter on the middle. Very masked but herbal finish with rye-like herbs, charred and toasted American oak.

Water makes the nose toastier with coconut notes now sowing. Still sweet and grapey with less PX character but still no spirit character. On the palate the vanilla has a sort of plasticy sheen with hints of burnt nuts and bitter tannins. Some sweet coconut and barley comes through on the finish but the bitterness endures.

James Eadie Single Cask Auchroisk 2007 (11year old) 59.5%

First Fill Bourbon cask 805594/ Dist: 2007 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Nov 2018

The nose is raw and cereally with gristy barley and manuka honey. Hints of dried grass, burnt toffee and herbal rye-like notes from the oak follow.

The palate is much like the nose, raw and cereally with toasted toffee and barley husks. Quite malty with a touch of dark fruit and liquorice and more than a touch of alcohol! Masked but spicy and grippy finish.

Water brings out a touch of tangerine and sugar but it also makes the nose a lot simpler. The palate is less raw, with more emphasis on the toffee’d oak and granulated sugar. Again simpler but still quite spicy on the finish with an almost chilli hotness.

Gordon & MacPhails Auchroisk Tasting Notes

Gordon & MacPhails ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ Auchroisk 1993 (16 year old) 43%

Refill American Hogshead/ Dist: 1993 Btl: June 2009/ Tasted: June 2011

Quite a high toned nose with a distinct peppery tequila-esque character. Quite hard, almost industrial in style. Some late oak vanillins and hints of white flowers try to balance, but it’s fair to say that that this dram and the term finesse are a mile apart.

The palate opens with slightly sweet vanilla oak, followed by the peppery tequila. The oak again isn’t exactly shy; in fact it is oak central! It also develops an intrusive burnt caramel note. Some malty barley does put in an appearance, but it’s never going to balance out that amount of oak. The finish is a tad on the hot side.

Berry Bros Auchroisk Tasting Notes

Berry Bros & Rudd ‘Berrys’ Auchroisk 1990 (24 year old) 46%

Cask 21749/ Dist: 1990 Btl: 2014/ Tasted: July 2016

The nose is youthful, fresh and delightfully citric. Subtly herbal with hints of fragrant honey and underlying malt and vanilla oak.

A little weightier on the palate with more barley and milky oak. Still pleasantly citric on the middle with fleshy apricot, pineapple, grass and sweet vanilla. Long and remaining citric with hints of gooseberry, greengage, lime and subtle oak. In conclusion: An utterly charming, classic, light Spey. A perfect dram for a warm summers day!

Edition Spirits Auchroisk Tasting Notes

Edition Spirits ‘The First Editions’ Auchroisk 1998 (19 year old) 54.2%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: EDI0339/ HL14661

Dist: May 1998 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Mar 2018

Dense barley’d and herbal on the nose – wild thyme and heather. Subtle honey, cereal, juicy citrus and malt biscuit notes follow.

The palate is pretty ,malty and biscuity with hints of honey, apricot and lime. Masked, very cereally, almost wheaty finish.

With water the nose is still dense but it has now come alive and shows an abundance of juicy orange/ Clementine. The barley is a little more fragrant and a touch of Sauvignon Blanc-esque grass and gooseberry appears. The palate is crisper and fresher with pear, apple and some gentle oak vanillins. Hints of gooseberry, lime and grass come through on the middle and the finish is long, lightly nutty with lingering slightly oily apricot.

Gleann Mor Auchroisk Tasting Notes

Gleann Mor ‘A Rare Find’ Auchroisk 1996 (18 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon/ Dist: 1996 Btl: 2014/ Tasted: June 2017

The nose opens with a huge blast of caramel oak along with some Madeira-eque biscuity notes, cereal and raisinated fruit. Then some red fruit, which hints at a possible port finish (actually not – tasted blind). When it settles down it displays some lovely fragrant barley, toasted oak, minerals, heather and nettles.

The palate opens with hints of burnt caramel and a sub-industrial hard barley notes, which wasn’t on the nose. Again it has a winey red fruit character and hints of chocolaty tannins. Good length, although it is surprisingly a little hot, with hints of menthol and lingering red berry fruit.

Auchroisk Distillery Bottlings Tasting Notes

Auchroisk 10 year old (Flora & Fauna) 43%

Tasted: Sept 2016

A fresh and citric nose with a good barley sweetness and hints of summer meadows, vanilla, barley husks, dried apricot and a subtle honey note.

The palate show a touch more toffee’d oak and honey, but the crisp citrus and mineral notes balance. Lovely, pure vanilla and hints of wood spice on the middle. Medium length with a returning citric (lemon) bite. Very enjoyable.

Claxton’s Auchroisk Tasting Notes

Claxton’s ‘The Single Cask’ Auchroisk 1997 (20 year old) 52.3%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead 1845-16381/ Dist Dec 1997 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Jul 2018

Dirty, industrial and sulphured (not cask related) nose. Hints of gooseberry and some late sweet-ish oak appear, but to be honest it really lacks any charm.

The palate is sulphured and very industrial with hard barley and bitter spice. This is really hard work! Long, but dirty with some spice. This wasn’t a very impressive cask!

Claxton’s The Single Cask Auchroisk 1991 (25 year old) 51.2%

Bourbon Hogshead 1604-7479/ Dist: Apr 1991 Btl: Apr 2016/ Tasted: May 2016

A beguiling nose of perfumed white fruit and tropical apricot, melon and luscious honey. Hints of freshening lime and gooseberry appear along with some light, dusty oak, herbs and malt biscuits. With time it becomes crisper and more barley focused with a touch of orange blossom.

The palate is hugely tropical and barley’d with creamy oak, lime, banana, apricot and melon. A serious fruit monster and a lovely mouthful! The alcohol balances the sweetness but it’s almost buried by the sheer weight of fruit. Wonderfully mellow with the subtle oak keeping it all in place. Long and finishing quite crisp with lingering minerals, citrus and honey. Wow! That’s a fantastic cask!

Carn Mor Auchroisk Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Auchroisk 2011 (7 year old) 46%

First Fill Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: 2011 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Feb 2019

Initially the nose is quite perfumed and barley’d with plenty of creamy oak and ‘Bourbony’ notes. It settles down a bit with time to show spicy rye-like notes and a touch of menthol, eucalyptus and camphor.

The palate is quite savoury with earthy, meaty notes. Lovely sweet barley follows along with sweet vanillins and malt. More interesting and better balanced than the nose. The oak does bitter slightly on the middle. Long and slightly herbal with lingering rye-like notes and hints of menthol and peppermint.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Auchroisk 2009 (8 year old) 46%

First Fill Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: 2009 Btl: Mar 2018/ Tasted: Mar 2018

A serious oak fest of a nose! Loads and loads of toasty vanillins, grain-like dried fruit and herbal spirit, which is just about integrated. With time some perfumed barley and subtle honey appears.

The palate opens with the herbal, grainy dried fruit and tight oak tannins. Hints of sweet barley come through on the middle but the alcohol is quite intrusive. Mouth-watering, slightly hot finish with lingering charred and toasty oak.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Auchroisk 1999 (15 year old) Port Finish 46%

Bourbon/ Approximately 6 months finishing in ex-Port casks

Dist: 1999 Btl: May 2015/ Tasted: May 2015

Fresh and very citric aromas. Lightly gristy with a subtle hint of earthy red fruit and manure. Beautifully balanced.

The palate is as well balanced as the nose suggests. Herbal and lightly gristy barley mingles with citrus and hints of toffee. The subtle red fruit notes come through on the middle brining an additional herbal character. Long and crisp with a good mineral finish but balanced by a sprinkling of granulated sugar.

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Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Auchroisk 2003 (16 year old) 57%

Bourbon Barrel 400355/ Dist: Sept 2003 Btl: Jan 2019/ Tasted: Apr 2019

A dense and straw-like nose with an almost grain whisky demeanour. Dried lemon rind, sultana and barley appear along with really chunky oak, which to be fair is adding to the grain whisky-like feel to the nose. With time some oily lemon curd, minerals, kiwi, crème caramel and fragrant barley appear.

The palate opens with vanilla, crème caramel and slightly bitter tannins. Like the nose it definitely has a grain whisky-like feel with plenty of grainy dried fruit and increasing alcohol. Quite masked with a touch of barley and citrus in the finish.

Water makes the nose oilier with castor oil, pepper and less citrus. Overall the nose is less interesting now. The palate is again, quite oily and simpler with less citrus and more oak. Slightly herbal finish with a touch of hyacinth, honeysuckle and citrus.

Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Auchroisk 1991 (24 year old) 45.4%

Bourbon Barrel 102227/ Dist: Dec 1991 Btl: Sept 2016/ Tasted: Sept 2016

Amazingly there is still an almost gristy element on the nose. Quite estery and fruity with pineapple, melon and pear along with some beautifully fragrant and dusty barley and a touch of vanilla.

The palate is full, juicy and fruity (apricot and pineapple) with dusty barley, straw and oak. Hints of slightly bitter spices appear but the weight of the fruit balances. Long and continuing barley’d with a light, mouth-watering citrus and mineral finish.