{"product_id":"auchentoshan-20-year-old-2003-smws-single-1st-fill-ex-bourbon-cask-distillery-5-rare-release-lowland-spirit-2024-single-malt-scotch-whisky-2024-70cl","title":"Auchentoshan 20 Year Old 2003 SMWS Single 1st Fill Ex Bourbon Cask Distillery 5 Rare Release Lowland Spirit 2024 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2024) 70cl","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAuchentoshan 20 Year Old 2003 SMWS Single 1st Fill Ex Bourbon Cask Distillery 5 Rare Release Lowland Spirit 2024 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2024) 70cl\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 of 427 bottles produced for the Lowland Spirit 2024 Festival\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTASTING NOTES\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe aroma transformed us instantly as we slowed down to enjoy banana bourbon syrup, salted caramel sauce, candied grapefruit peel and Indian guava cheese. On the palate, the guava was in a cocktail spiked with pineapple-infused rum and freshly squeezed lime juice: totally tropical. Following reduction, we enjoyed lemon and raspberry macarons with a glass of cloudy lemonade, while the taste was that of pudina coconut chutney and Tuareg mint tea prepared and served in a traditional ceremonial form. This dram gave us plenty to think about, with one Panel member even starting to philosophise over the meaning of life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe SMWS are one of the Britain's most revered independent bottlers with a worldwide network of partner bars with one mission of getting as much whisky at natural cask strength without water to different nations including USA, Canada, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Germany and many others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese older labels from the first runs are mostly with distillation methods that include direct heat which was replaced with steam for many distilleries for environmental reasons changing the taste of whisky forever. It'll get real interesting when nuclear fusion is used to distil whisky. We might glow green for a few weeks after we drink the stuff. Who knows.... but all we know is that the old stuff has a musky taste that is VERY welcomed by people nowadays trying to time travel through whisky's past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout Auchentoshan (OH-KEN-TOE-SHAN)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuchentoshan’s claim to fame is that it is the only distillery in Scotland which exclusively uses triple distillation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wash still operates as per normal, while the spirit coming from the intermediate still is split into two, with only the high-strength ‘heads’ being carried forward for the final distillation. The low-strength ‘tails’ are mixed with the next distillation from the wash still.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ‘heads’ are then mixed with the ‘feints’ from the previous spirit still distillation and a cut with an average strength of 81% is taken. A short fermentation gives Auchentoshan a cereal note which acts as a grounding flavour during maturation as well as balancing the high-toned citric notes. Its high strength means that it can easily be overpowered by oak. Consequently, the older the expression, the more ‘relaxed’ the wood influence is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLegal whisky-making started here on the banks of the Clyde in 1817 when the Duntocher distillery was built by John Bulloch. Like many early start-ups it had a chequered early history and Bulloch went bankrupt soon after. It wasn’t to put his family off however. His grandson co-founded one of the 19th century’s most famous blending and broking firms, Bulloch Lade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was bought in 1834 by John Hart and Alexander Filshie who changed its name to Auchintoshan [sic]. The Filshie’s sold up in 1875 to a local grain merchant and again like so many stills, ‘Auchie’ spent almost a century being passed from one owner to another. During the Clyde Blitz of 1941 a warehouse was hit, sending a stream of blazing whisky into the river. A bomb crater has been turned into the distillery pond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was one of a number of distilleries purchased by brewers in the 1960s – in Auchie’s case Glasgow-based Tennant’s were owners from 1960 to 1969 when they offloaded it to a publican, Eadie Cairns. The upgraded distillery was then sold to Stanley P Morrison in 1984. It is now part of Beam Suntory. A new visitor facility was built in 2004.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnusually, all of its production is used for single malt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e54% ABV\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e70cl\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Auchentoshan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54941927178565,"sku":"AUCH20SMWSLS24","price":229.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/9495\/8661\/files\/Auchentoshan20YearOld2003SMWSSingle1stFillExBourbonCaskDistillery5RareReleaseLowlandSpirit2024SingleMaltScotchWhisky_2024_70cl.jpg?v=1750119238","url":"https:\/\/b1yyjg-bk.myshopify.com\/products\/auchentoshan-20-year-old-2003-smws-single-1st-fill-ex-bourbon-cask-distillery-5-rare-release-lowland-spirit-2024-single-malt-scotch-whisky-2024-70cl","provider":"Whisky Situation Old","version":"1.0","type":"link"}