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Auchentoshan distillery

Auchentoshan is the epitome of a Lowland whiskies. Auchentoshan distill their single malt whisky three times, rather than twice. Single Malts from Auchentoshan distillery are lighter and easier in character, with less mouthfeel and inherent sweetness. The Auchentoshan 12 years is a perfect entry into the Lowland whiskies.

Auchentoshan Whisky

The Auchentoshan Distillery is located on the outskirts of Glasgow. The name of the distillery derived from the Gaelic Achadh an Oisein means “corner of the field” and is pronounced “Och’ntosch’n”. Auchentoshan Single Malt is a light and mellow whisky, often described as a breakfast tipple. At Auchentoshan, the intensity of many Scottish single malts is exchanged for delicate flavours.

House style

How does Auchentoshan Single Malt taste? The distillery character of Auchentoshan is generally soft and mild. Frequently, sherry or wine barrels are used to transfer sweet and fruity flavors to the whisky.

Production

How is Auchentoshan Whisky produced? The water for the production at Auchentoshan comes from the Kilpatrick Hills, the malt used is unpeated. Auchentoshan uses a mash tub made of stainless steel and seven washbacks of 35.000 l each, four wooden and three stainless steel. When fermentation is carried out, there are cereal, slightly nutty aromas, which are balanced by the later maturation. Distilled three times, in a 17.300 l Wash Still, an 8,000 l Intermediate Still and an 11,500 l fastidiating Spirit Still. Due to the triple distillation, the alcohol content in the New Make is at an extremely high 80% to 82%. Before the barrels are filled, it is reduced to about 63.5%, which is considered to be an ideal ripening strength. Most Scottish distilleries distilled their spirit at a lower alcohol strength and thus preserve more malt flavours in the distillate. For Auchentoshan, the path which is unusual for Scottish conditions, but the triple distillation has proved its worth. The triple distillation is a method more common within Irish Whisky.

Recommendations

Auchentoshan’s range of products is a 12-year-old Auchentoshan product range. This bottling was matured in former Bourbon and Sherry Casks and has taken on the pleasant aromas of both versions. Light caramel and orange notes wrap around the palate. However, the 12-year-old Auchentoshan retains the nutty-mildly basic character of the distillery and thus serves as an orientation and as a perfect example of a classic Lowland Malt whiskies. If you’re a fan of chocolaty aromas and dark fruits then you should definitely opt for the Auchentoshan Three Wood, on of their No Age Statement offerings. This excellent Auchentoshan does not have an age, but it matured in three different types of barrel. In addition to the classic bourbon barrels, two Sherry varieties were allowed to join in. The Pedro Ximenez Sherry left sweet notes of raisins in the whisky, while the dry Oloroso sherry is responsible for clear chocolate notes and dark fruits. A clear recommendation from us if you are looking for a sherry cask ripened Lowland Whisky.

History

It is not entirely clear whether today’s Auchentoshan distillery emerged from the earlier Duntocher distillery, which has been in place since the beginning of the 19th. A century ago, whisky was produced on site. John Bulloch had founded this distillery and his grandson Archibald Bulloch later founded one of the country’s most important blending companies, Bulloch charging. As an official year of foundation, it is used in 1823. Auchentoshan was partially destroyed during World War II by German bomber attacks. The burnt whisky stocks ran into the river Clyde. Still today, the distillery pond, a former bomb crater, is reminisce of the devastating attack. It was not until the second world war in 1948 that the distillery was rebuilt. In 1974, a modernization followed and in 1984 Auchentoshan was overhauled for the last time, when Stanley P. Morrison bought the distillery. Until 1994, Auchentoshan was part of Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd.. The company was sold in 1994 to the Japanese company Suntory, a company with which a great many years of good relationship had already been established. Since 2017, the Morrison family has returned to the whisky production to Glasgow with its new project of the Clydeside Distillery. Auchentoshan today is the last of the old about 20 distilleries that previously produced whisky in and around Glasgow. The whitewashed distillery has a nice visitor centre. Here, visitors are proud of how Auchentoshan Whisky is made. Also, a tasting of the whisky is possible and can only be recommended.

Auchentoshan factsheet

Name Pronounced AKA Region Country of Origin
Auchentoshan ock*en*tosh*en Lowlands Scotland
Status Active Whisky Type Website Tours Available
Active 1823 - Present Malt Auchentoshan Not Available
Manager Distiller Blender Owned by Parent Group
Jeremy Stephens Morrison Bowmore Distillers

Auchentoshan Timeline:

1516: First record of Auchentoshan Estate, owned by Paisley Abbey. William Johnstone of Auchinleck is recorded as the tenant

1657: By this time the Estate was divided between William Johnstone and William Hamilton

1721: The Johnstone family builds Auchentoshan House

1767: The Johnstone family is succeeded by George Buchanan, the Estate is further divided and several sections sold

1817: One section sold by John Cross Buchanan to John Bulloch for the building of Duntocher Distillery

1822: John Bulloch files for bankruptcy, his son Archibald Bulloch becomes owner of Duntocher Distillery

1823: Established. Licensee and owner Mr. Thorne

1826: Archibald Bulloch is declared Bankrupt. Duntocher Distillery continues trading under Bulloch & Co.

1830: Bulloch & Co. registered as limited company

1830-34: John Hart

1834: Bulloch & Co. Ltd. sell Duntocher Distillery to John Hart and Alexander Filshie. They rename the distillery Auchentoshan Distillery

1837: James and Alex Filshie

1839: James and Alex Filshie

1845: James Filshie joins Alexander Filshie as owners of Auchentoshan Distillery

1851: Operating

1852: Alexander Filshie

1867: James Filshie

1875: James and Alexander Filshie largely rebuild the distillery

1878: James and Alexander Filshie sell the distillery to C.H. Curtis & Co., whisky merchants from Greenock

1878-96: C.H. Curtis & Co., Greenock

1900: Auchentoshan Distillery is sold by C.H. Curtis & Co. to Alexander Ferguson & Co. Ltd.

1903: Alexander Ferguson & Co. Ltd. sell the distillery to George and John Maclachlan Ltd., brewers

1907: George and John Maclachlan Ltd., brewers

1923: George and John Maclachlan Ltd. went bankrupt. Maclachlan Ltd. becomes new owner

1941-Mar-13 & 14: The German Luftwaffe bomb the local area in the ’Clydebank blitz’. Warehouse 1, 2 & 3 are destroyed along with almost 1 million litres of whisky

1948-Feb-03: Production resumes

early 1960s: Maclachlan Ltd. is acquired by J. & R. Tennent Brewers

1964: J. & R. Tennent is aquired by Charringtons

1967: Charringtons’ merge to Bass Charrington

1969: Distillery sold to Eadie Cairns Ltd. for approximately £100,000 and re-equipped

1974: Re-equipped by Eadie Cairns Ltd. Stanley P. Morrison makes first purchase of 221 sherry Butts of Auchentoshan 1965

1976: Stills became steamheated

1984: Bought by Stanley P. Morrison & Co. from Eadie Cairns Ltd. to complete its Highland (Glen Garioch) and Islay Distilleries (Bowmore) and overhauled. The price was £325,000. Capacity about 3 million litres a year. Three stills (triple distillation). Steam-engine preserved

1994: Suntory buys Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd.

2004-Dec-01: A new, refurbished visitor centre is opened. Total costs were over £1,000,000

Can I tour Auchentoshan?

Yes Auchentoshan distillery is tourable. On Trip Advisor the distillery has been rated as excellent by 0 of tours to date. This gives Auchentoshan an overall rating of

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