Whisky Review: Auchroisk 6 Years Old 2009 Hepburn’s Choice Single Cask

• Category: Speyside single malt Scotch whisky
• Origin: Auchroisk Distillery
• Bottling: Langside, Hepburn’s Choice
• ABV: 46%
• Cost: £14.99 for 20cl

What they say:

Distilled 2009 at Auchroisk Distillery and matured for 6 years in a Quarter Cask before bottling at 46%, presented in 20cl bottle.

What I say:

Another young bottling from Langsides, Hepburn’s Choice range.

These are starting to feel a little experimental now as they are using smaller casks and also cask finishing with some of this really young stuff as they attempt to work out what it can do I guess.

This one spent 6 years in a single cask and was also released as 20cl bottles, the perfect sampler size for me.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Light gold (2/20), medium tears and fine legs
• Nose: Young and fresh, perhaps a little forced, coppery metallic and lactic new make to the fore, after breathing, new wood, linen, vanilla and white chocolate
• Taste: Initially quite coppery and metallic on the palate, like it is straight off the still, some fruits, melon and peach appear  alongside pear drops and foam banana sweeties and a light vanilla cream note, green oak or new pine wood, with a drop of water this becomes buttery and reminded me of vanilla butter icing in a good Victoria Sponge cake, accompanied by the light cereal cake and a touch of fruit jam notes too
• Finish: Medium-short, slightly bitter new oak wood and vanilla cream

Overall

A spirit led expression with a crash course in American oak, great experiment but perhaps not the best indication of what either distillery or cask can do.

Perhaps one for the more specialist/inquisitive drinker maybe?

Score: 79/100

Shop for similar Auchroisk bottled by Hepburn’s Choice (opens Master of Malt)

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