Whisky : Auchroisk 10 Year SMWS 95.31 “Slivovitz, rumtopf and Black Forest gateau”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 58.6%

Cask : Ex-Bourbon (9Y), First Fill STR Barrique (1Y)

Age : 10 Years (Distilled 29 Jan. 2009)

Nose : Blown out Birthday candles— wisp of smoke and sweet caramel buttercream.  Fruity syrup, caramel, and char gave the impression of toast and marmalade.  Sultanas and dried fruits emerged as the dram had time to breath.

Palate :  Medium to thick body with lots of oaky structure and a syrupy mouthfeel.  Notes of stone fruits, apples, honeycomb, and a vinyl record.  Spice and roasty notes appeared with impressions of apple cider with cinnamon and anise, roasty cocoa nibs, and new car leather upholstery.  Dark chocolate and dried fruits came through on the back end.  A few drops of water brought forward honey and dried stone fruits.

Finish :  Lingering apple custard and slightly bitter chocolate.

Score : 4

Mental Image : Apple Cider Donuts

Notes :  This was an interesting one.  This Auchroisk was a tad heavy on the cask influence for my taste, though I have never really found an Auchroisk that appealed to me.  At different turns this had subtle rubbery-sulphur notes which, while they did not bother me, will not please those who are particularly sensitive to them.  This was also a bit hot and the bitter chocolate-char notes at the end were not to my taste as the clashed rather than contrasted with the sweeter fruits.  A few drops of water improved the dram so that a lot more dried stone fruits— apricots mostly— began to appear while much of the bitterness (and even those rubber notes) dissipated.

Overall, this was a perfectly pleasant dram to sip on.  I would absolutely never turn down a pour, but there was nothing to it that really caught my attention and the flavor profile was on the whole outside of my preferences.