Whisky: Auchentoshan 24 Year (1984), Signatory Vintage Cask 267

Country/Region: Scotland/Lowland

ABV: 57%

Cask: Bourbon Barrel

Age: 24 Years (Distilled 31 Jan. 1984, Bottled 14 Aug. 2008)

Nose: Grassy and subtle with matcha, earth, green apple, white chocolate, hints of mint, more fruit with time, peach and orange.

Palate: Medium-bodied, slightly oily, peaches and oranges, marzipan, earth, matcha, kiss of salt, gingerbread, baking spices, tobacco.

Finish: Long and lingering with oak, pepper, and mint.

Score: 8

Mental Image: Fruits and Cigarettes in the Secret Garden

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was subtle and grassy with a matcha-like earthiness that immediately recalled Hakushu’s lightly peated malt. Earthy matcha and green apples developed over white chocolate and cocoa butter with subtle hints of mint. Fruitier with time, candied almonds joined Saturn peaches and tinned mandarin oranges. Medium-bodied and a touch oily, the flavor profile was bursting with fruits that faded toward more herbs and spices. Mandarin oranges and nectarines arrived first with roasted almonds and marzipan pastries. Earth appeared with unsweetened chocolate and a touch of matcha powder, while some initially shy salt popped into the foreground. Gingerbread, molasses, and chicory lingered at the end with herbal tobacco and pepper. The finish was long and lingering with oak, pepper, and mint.

Every distillery has its fans, whether they be humble Auchroisk, acclaimed Clynelish, or even the unassuming and occasionally maligned Auchtentoshan. The orange hue that some of their low abv releases can take on does not inspire a lot of confidence, though I rather enjoyed some of their interestingly named duty-free releases— hello Spring Oak and Blood Oak! Yet, I know at least one person who swears by the distillery. However, they usually chase Auchentoshan bottled by independents rather than the distillery itself.

I bought this bottle at a local shop, one of the last Signatory they had left, because I rarely come across a birthyear bottle from any Scotch distillery. 1984 was not a good year for the industry; loads of distilleries were ramping down production or only open a few days out of the week, and nearly a dozen distilleries had shuttered in the last two years— with more on the horizon. So, even though I have never been a devotee of Auchentoshan, I could not pass up the chance to try something that pre-dated my existence.

Overall, I waited about a year to finally open and try this whisky. I was concerned about waiting any longer as the fill level was already a touch low; however, I was supremely impressed by what I found. I first opened and poured it for some friends during a welcome-back tasting for a long-lost comrade in whisky. I was neither alone in eyeing the bottle with suspicion nor admitting that this was absolutely delicious.