Auchentoshan

One of the things I learned while traveling through Scotland is that some whisky distilleries purchase American bourbon casks, rum casks and even wine casks to distill their whisky in. If you really think about that, it’s a win win for both sides.

How so? Well, one side makes money by selling their used up casks, which would otherwise be tossed, and the other reaps the benefit of giving their whisky a flavor that could only be achieved through this process alone. The longer these whiskies mature in these types of casks the more of that flavor is left behind on the whisky giving it that unique flavor. Auchentoshan (try saying that 10 times fast) is one of those whiskies.

Let me be honest, I love whisky, but one of the things that drew me to try Auchentoshan wasn’t just its unique name or the fact that it was a whisky but the fact that this brand is one of the few single malts that is tripled distilled. This means that the whisky is distilled three times. Each distillation helps to purify the whisky even further.

Auchentoshan is from the Lowland whisky region of Scotland. If you look at the box it tells you that it is pronounced ‘ock-un-tosh-un’. From their range today I am trying their Classic which is matured in American bourbon casks and is 40% alcohol proof. This bottle would cost you roughly about $30-$40. Out of their range line, the classic doesn’t have year so it’s pretty safe to assume that it is their youngest brand.

When I opened the bottle and smelled it, I get sweetness, fruits and citrus. It’s a pale golden color and unlike Lagavulin this is actually a very smooth, light whisky that I would recommend to any new whisky drinker.

When tasting, I first get sweet vanilla and then I get hit with a smooth zestiness. This is one whisky that new whisky drinkers will not cringe at. It is that smooth, light and fresh. My recommendation, if you are looking to start whisky drinking this is the product to do it with and it is a good way to help kick start your summer.

Cheers!

Lagavulin

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If someone were to ask me, what is your favorite region of scotch whisky? I would hands down call myself an Islay girl. I first discovered the Islay whisky’s back in April of 2011 while traveling through Scotland with my friend Fiona.

It was while touring the Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile, in Edinburgh, Scotland that I learned about this little wonderful place called Islay. During the tour we got to the portion that I would call the “scratch and sniff”. The very nice tour guide passed out little cards to everyone and told us to “scratch and sniff” the scents of the different whiskey regions. Once we picked our favorite scent we got to sample a bit of that region’s whisky.

I’ve always loved a good smelling wooden fire so my scent of choice on that day was the scent of Islay with its heavy smoky smell. Islay in fact produces the smokiest whiskys in the market, Lagavulin being one of their smokiest whiskys and by far one of my favorites.

The distillery is located on the southern side of the island near one of my other favorites, Ardbeg. It is a single malt whisky and also receives the slowest distilling process out of any other Islay whisky. I roughly paid $69 or so for a 16-year-old bottle.  16 years is the standard year for Lagavulin and it is 43% alcohol poof. It has a nice rich amber color and if you move it around your dram glass you can see the beautiful legs it has.

If you’ve never drank whisky before or are beginning your whisky drinking experience, Lagavulin is not the whiskey you should begin your whisky tasting with. It is dry, powerful and extremely smoky. Here is how I best describe the taste of Lagavulin; Lagavulin is like a warm fire on a cold winter’s night.

At first I tasted a nice strong smokiness, followed by sweetness in the middle. The end is my favorite part; the strong peat smokiness comes back and hits you in the back of your pallet, you can slightly taste seaweed as you finish your tasting. This whisky will warm you up in a matter of seconds.  I highly recommend this whisky for the experience drinker.

Some would say that it’s a drink best served during the winter. I highly disagree; I will drink a dram of Lagavulin anytime of the year. Why limit this wonderful taste for the winter. Get yourself a nice plate of cheese and crackers and enjoy!

Cheers!

Whiskey drinking adventures begin

Who am I? I am girl who loves whiskey and have come to realized that there aren’t many female whiskey bloggers out there so I am jumping on this ship. The goal is to try as many whiskey brands out there as possible and provide an honest review on my thoughts of that particular brand. This is really going to be a win win for me.

A little background, if you all must know, I acquired my love/passion for whiskey over 10 years ago and not with whiskey but rather bourbon. I went from a Makers Mark on the rocks to a neat Lagavulin, Bowmore, Glenffidich, Macallan… I can be here all day with all these brands. Good thing for me, I actually want to be here listing all these brands and more.

So my dear friends let the whiskey drinking adventures begin.   

Cheers!