Auchentoshan Blood Oak

Whisky Review

• Category: Lowland single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Auchentoshan distillery
• Bottling: Suntory
• ABV: 46%
• Cost: £74.95

What they say:

One of a pair of Travel Retail releases from the Auchentoshan distillery in the Lowlands – Blood Oak is a rather dramatically-named single malt in a combination of bourbon casks and red wine casks.

What I say:

A travel retail exclusive (TRE) from Auchentoshan, matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-red wine casks, hence the blood oak colour.

Colour:

Ruby/blood red (13/20), medium-sized tears leave finer legs

Nose:

Zesty orange marmalade, ginger, toffee, nutty, nut oils, hazelnut, hints of leather, cocoa powder, zesty candied peel, orange juice and sweet honey.

Taste:

Balanced, toffee & fudge, hints of freshly ground ginger, orange marmalade, a little sharp, citric and sour, light leather, tannin, tea, drying oak wood.

Finish:

Medium-long, unsweetened Seville (marmalade) oranges, tannic and drying

Overall:

Nicely balanced and quite pleasant toffee and orange without being too sweet. Auchentoshan can be a whisky I struggle to enjoy at times perhaps due to the triple-distillation. The only drawback with this whisky was the colour promised an intensity that the palate didn’t quite deliver. More red wine influence for me, however the tannic French oak was a welcome addition.

Score: 82/100

Available from The Whisky Exchange

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