Auchentoshan 31 year old 1965, cask 2497

The trio of Auchentoshan samples remaining in my collection are being consumed as I type this, each one quite different than the next. And what the hell, I'll start with the grand oldie.

Yes, Auchentoshan used to dish out official very old single casks back in the early Suntory years. I had seen them in folks' collections, but never tried any of the whiskies, until a generous gentleman (initials: PT) opened his bottle for a split. There were at least 18 of these 1965 casks bottled in 1997, with cask 2497 possessing the beefiest ABV. Tennent's (yes, that Tennent's) ran the stills in the 1960s, so I wasn't sure what to expect.....

Distillery: Auchentoshan
Distilled by: Charrington's / Wellpark Brewery
Current Ownership: Beam Suntory
Region: Lowlands (Glasgow-ish)





Age: minimum 31 years (1 November 1965 to 1997)
Maturation: Hogshead

Cask #: 2497
Alcohol by Volume: 55.1%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

At first it noses of an old leather chair, Havdalah spice box, green curry, and ocean air. Then comes the green chartreuse and candied pecans. Then sweet vermouth and moss. Yeah, it is wild. Dunnage, snuffed cigar, peaches, and pineapples lead the palate, with moss, wormwood, bitter citrus, and Luxardo cherries in the mid- to background. The finish offers variety as well: moss, horseradish bitterness, soot, Luxardo cherries, and very tangy pineapple.

Careful with that water, Kravitz...

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or 3mL of water per 30mL whisky

The nose arrives intensely herbal, with an emphasis on tomato leaves. Milder notes of mango, brine, and hot tar remain in the back. The palate has a mix of bitter & tart & herbal & subtle sweetness. After plenty of air, it tastes of grapefruits, oranges, wormwood, and a Kilkerran-ish forest floor. It finishes with more herbal bitterness than sweetness, with a light earthiness that lingers longest.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

An adventure! The A-grade nose is its own trip, with a plethora of curiosities that somehow work together. Tomato leaves, mango, and tar? Yes, please. The palate is bit less wild, but the almost-medicinal bitterness delivers a workout for the tastebuds. The whisky is a thinker, rather than a drinker, in the best sense. One could imagine every pour from the bottle offering its own experience.

I wish I could say the next Auchentoshan offered the same pleasures, but...

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 90