12 year old Auchroisk – matured in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead since January 2006. View on SMWS
Nose: Rather floral – rose hips, Turkish Delight, dried grasses and reeds. Rather fruity – poached pears and raspberry syrup. The two sit together nicely. In the background, fresh cotton laundry, and crumbled biscuits. The addition of water adds some spice – Sichuan pepper (not hot – hints of lemon/lime) as well as forest aromas of bracken and leaf mulch.
Taste: A dry spirit with tart fruitiness – grapefruit, gooseberry and under ripe pears. Ex-bourbon pushes through with vanilla cream, wood chips, pencil shavings and sappy oak. Dilution adds desiccated coconut, vanilla, cookie dough and toasted cereals.
Finish: Medium, expressing fading ginger and overt ex-bourbon wood.
The fruits and florals combine well in this Auchroisk, but I found the mid palate through to finish explicitly woody – which is not really my ‘thing’. Nothing to complain about though – perfectly decent juice.