Now that I’ve read through Whiskey Classified I’ve changed my mind about a few things. I find the variety of flavors available out there to be very interesting. Now I consider it a challenge to identify different flavors and, even though my favorite scotches are on the smoky medicinal side, I am curious to taste every type of scotch out there. Second, since what I consider good scotch is driven by how smoky it is I would have tended to rate Laphrioag as being better than Glenlevit or Glenfiddich. My guess is that I will always prefer smoky over sweet and fruity but it is a jump to judgment to say one is better than the other. At this point I am starting to form the opinion that there are no bad scotches just ones I don’t like, we’ll see how long that lasts. As previously stated, I consider it a challenge to identify the flavors in different scotches. That was the motive behind purchasing Auchentoshen 12 year. This type of scotch is the opposite of what I usually choose in terms of flavor.
As usual, I pour a healthy glass and try it neat. There is not much nose, a subtle citrus perhaps orange flavor, and a spicy scent that reminds me of fresh chopped or grated ginger. The taste is fruity and acidic but also bitter, it is as if I am tasting a piece of citrus rind. This actually makes it more enjoyable for me as I usually don’t like sweet fruity tasting scotches, the bitterness is a pleasant surprise. There is definitely spice in the flavor and as it sits in my mouth it definitely tastes like ginger. There is also a floral taste, like edible flowers, though they all smell the same to me so I can’t identify the type. But there is definitely a floral taste. The after taste is not strong, and somewhat bitter, a little like a citrus rind.
I’m not sure what I think of this little experiment. I was not blown away by the taste of this scotch, I’m not a flavor convert. But compared to other scotches on this side of the spectrum, which I find a little too sweet, I find this more to my liking. If I’m ever in the mood for something fruity I’ll grab another bottle.
copyright 2014, David R Bergman