Auchroisk 17 Years Old 1996 Treasurer’s Selection (49.8%, Robert Graham, Cask #1977, 252 Bottles, 2016)

• Category: Speyside single malt Scotch whisky
• Origin: Auchroisk Distillery
• Bottling: Robert Graham, Treasurer’s Selection
• ABV: 49.8%
• Cost: £125

What they say

Region: Highland
Age: 17 year old
Distilled: 1996
Bottled: November 2013
Cask number: 1977
Limited to 252 bottles
UnChill-Filtered Treasurer Selection

A cask-strength offering of 252 bottles from our exclusive Treasurer’s Selection range. Toffee caramel and shortbread biscuits with raisins on the nose, with a touch of gooseberry after a while breathing in the glass; the palate is buttery, thick and extraordinarily soft considering its ABV. There is the creamy butterscotch of Werther’s Originals, a little almond paste, and a smooth resolution into toffee on the finish. Mercifully rescued from blending stocks for a much-deserved presentation as a single malt.
49.8%

What I say

Following on from sampling the 6 year old 2009 Auchroisk, which gave us a good sample of distillate/spirit character before we moved on to this slightly older Treasurer’s Selection bottling from Robert Graham.

Distilled in 1996 and matured for 17 years, presented at 49.8% ABV.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Champagne gold (4/20), medium tears and legs
• Nose: A hint of metallic copper again on the nose but then full into fruity and zesty nectarines, peach, apricot and grapefruits, old oak wood and a vanilla custard precede toffee and caramel sauce, much more rounded than the younger dram we tried previously
• Taste: On the palate, more stone and citrus fruits combine, pink grapefruit zest and pith, peach and apricot jam, gooseberry fool, biscuit malt, still a faint hint of metallic copper and some minerality, rich/highland toffee, oily and buttery on the palate, marzipan and light leathery tannins with a touch of putty/linseed oil
• Finish: Medium-long, zest, fruit and wood combine

Overall

A much more rounded and rewarding dram though with a remarkably similar base taste profile.

My experience of Auchroisk is limited but the output appears to be well imprinted with distillery character with quite an unusual fruitiness to it.

Score: 83/100

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