Whisky : Auchentoshan 22 Year, Lady of the Glen

Country/Region : Scotland/Lowland

ABV : 56%

Cask : Refill Barrel

Age : 22 Years (Distilled 10 Feb. 1998, Bottled 12 Oct. 2020)

Nose :  Honey, florals, and creamy tropical fruits.  Gentle waves of floral vanilla, cherimoya, and brown sugar rich chico, or sapodilla.  Buttery pastries, pound cake, madeleines, and ginger-orange marmalade.

Palate : Medium bodied with candied ginger, herbal notes, and subtle fruits.  Notes of grassy crushed sugar cane balanced against herbal notes of menthol, basil, and tarragon.  A fruitier side occasionally peaked through with dried berries, dragonfruit, and apricot jam.  Dryness built on the palate over time while mild licorice notes of Thai basil and walnut pastries came through at the end.

Finish :  Lingering notes of herbs and honey with a pleasant pepper spice.

Score : 5

Mental Image : Walnut stuffed Hotteok 

Notes : I have ever had a Hotteok, a Korean sweet pancake, that had quite the herbal rush of this, but its a great encapsulation of a dessert that is often subtlety sweet much like this dram.  Despite a nose full of sugary fruits and pastries, I was surprised at the restrained level of sugary sweetness on the palate.  The bold herbal notes were almost disorienting after the pleasant tropical fruit impressions on the nose.  This Auchentoshan was full of unexpected twists and turns which made it a lot of fun to share.

Overall, Auchentoshan can be a lot of fun and quite good when not given a neon orange shine and proofed down.  The distillery makes an interesting spirit and this was definitely a unique bottle.