A little bag of young Auchroisk


July 7, 2026

A little bag of young Auchroisk

Without further ado, let's get on with it... By the way, every website seems to claim it's pronounced 'Othrusk', but if you say that to a Frenchman, he'll hear 'ostrich'. Or nothing at all... (picture AI)

Auchroisk 14 yo (46%, Cadenhead, Original Collection, 2025)

Trumpets please, this is a manzanilla finish! Colour: gold. Nose: well, I'd swear we can actually smell the manzanilla, with these green walnuts, lemon zests and little touches of mustard. Not forgetting the chalk, or rather the albariza. Beneath that, we're simply dealing with a rather peppery malt whisky. Mouth: almost a straight copy and paste from the nose, mustard, walnuts, green and grey pepper, but also a cider and mead side that may be ever so slightly out of place in this context. Finish: fairly long, with salty touches, although that mead keeps lingering, together with a rather unusual honeyed side. Comments: a very lovely little Auchroisk, although quite generously seasoned.
SGP:561 - 84 points.

Let's move on to Port...

Auchroisk 11 yo 2010/2022 (53.4%, The Whisky Cask Company, ruby Port cask, cask #37, 314 bottles)

There's been a proper invasion of ruby Port over the last few years, it's worse than the midges. Let's see whether a few red fruits are about to storm the place... Colour: apricot. Nose: in the end it's fairly close to the Cadenhead, so no overly obvious raspberries, cherries, blackcurrants or strawberries. More of a leather and tobacco side. With water: more leather and tobacco, and even fewer red fruits, apart from a few drops of kirsch. Mouth (neat) we do find more fruit here, though not in an excessive way, at least for the time being, although it seems to grow with every second. Fruit cake. With water: rather spectacular and unexpected arrival of bitter oranges. Finish: long, and rather pepperier. Comments: we're pretty much in the same territory.
SGP:461 - 84 points.

Let's give manzanilla another go...

Auchroisk 11 yo 2015/2026 (57.9%, Lady of the Glen, manzanilla finish, cask #801525, 299 bottles)

Shall we find albariza again? Colour: gold. Nose: lovely freshness, grapefruits, pistachios, bitter almonds, a few fresh walnuts. With water: sourdough, beer, in short, back to the roots. Almond milk. Mouth (neat) it's excellent, razor-sharp, lemony, saline, and very much in the style of a fine manzanilla. A very slight touch of eau de Cologne, but nothing remotely bothersome. With water: perfect now, not a false note in sight, lemon, chalk, green walnut, mustard, pepper. Finish: same again. Comments: excellent young Auchroisk (and manzanilla).
SGP:461 - 87 points.

While we're with the Lady, let's take a few more risks (please don't read any metaphor or analogy into that)...

Auchroisk 11 yo 2012/2024 (59.2%, Lady of the Glen, Rivesalts finish, cask #802860, 283 bottles)

Auchroisk 11 yo 2012/2024 (59.2%, Lady of the Glen, 'Rivesalts' finish, cask #802860, 283 bottles)

It's all a bit bizarre here, since they're mentioning 'Rivesalts' and Segonzac, so Grande Champagne in Cognac, but I believe it ought to be 'Rivesaltes', a vin doux naturel from the south-west of France, east of the Pyrenees. Who knows, who cares, the truth is in the glass. Colour: apricot amber. Nose: this is rather lovely, gentle, on sultanas and brioche, with a light pepperiness that immediately starts to creep in. So, Cognac or vin doux naturel? With water: a peppery, slightly fermentary side that simply couldn't have come from a Cognac cask in my humble opinion. Mouth (neat) lovely chocolaty notes at first, but they're soon joined by fruit creams and slightly fermented, slightly oxidised fruit jellies, which clearly argue in favour of Rivesaltes. Cardamom coffee. With water: a distinct sour edge. Finish: long, and spicier. Comments: we do find that the manzanilla has well and truly beaten this more improbable baby hollow. As luck would have it, it's also the more recent version.
SGP:551 - 81 points.

Auchroisk 7 yo 2007/2017 (53.5%, Limburg Dramclub, oloroso sherry cask)

We really do find everything in our sample library. It was about time we tasted this baby. Colour: white wine. Nose: the sherry is very restrained, the malt takes centre stage, everything is very natural, everything is just fine. With water: almond milk and almost soap. Nice soap. Mouth (neat) rather unexpected lemon, otherwise buckwheat groats and green walnut with a little pepper. With water: we go deeper into the barley, while the oloroso remains on its most princely reserve. Finish: medium length, more fermentary. Comments: of course, it's rather anecdotal, but it was good. Limburg, baby. SGP:441 - 83 points.

Right, back to Cadenhead...

Auchroisk 11 yo 2006/2018 (46%, Cadenhead, two bourbon barrels)

These 'new dumpies' don't seem to have lasted very long, but I rather thought it made sense to cultivate the myth of the 'black dumpies'. Anyway, not my business... Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: very much the style of the time, this is the Auchroisk that's closest to the distillate of them all, we're faced with barley, light earth, fresh oranges, apple juice, and a rather striking natural beauty, with just the faintest touch of vanilla. Mouth: same impressions on the palate, fresh, lively, precise, with green oranges and buckwheat flour. Pepper adds a little extra nervousness. Finish: fairly long, a tad austere, yet impeccably elegant. Comments: above all, it just feels utterly honest, true and straight, almost chivalrous. Indeed.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

While we're delving into almost ancient history...

Auchroisk 12 yo 2006/2018 (55.3%, Cadenhead, Small Batch)

In theory, this could well be the cask strength version of the previous one. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: flint, almost smoke, fresh bread, even wholemeal bread. You do know the wholemeal bread paradox, don't you? You cut yourself a slice, yet it's still wholemeal bread. Right, perhaps that's more amusing in French, let's move on... With water: same again, it doesn't budge an inch. A few herbs, grass, assorted leaves... Mouth (neat) very lovely, very precise, on barley, earth, barley, earth, barley, earth... And pepper. With water: the slightly tart fruits come charging in, finger lime first, then ginger. Finish: long, very lovely, although less lemony than the 46% version. Comments: we're extremely close to the 46% version, and I can't really see why the score should be any different.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Let's get back to sherry, if you don't mind...

Auchroisk 13 yo 2012/2026 (59%, Single Cask Nation, oloroso hogshead, cask #170571, 256 bottles)

Colour: red amber. Nose: this is a spicy sherry, on apricot tart generously dusted with cinnamon and grey pepper, followed by cured ham, inevitably Iberian. Lovely little beast. With water: as is often the case, leather, tobacco and bay leaves move to the front. Mouth (neat) we're back to roasted apricots with pepper, and even a little chilli. With water: out come more preserved fruits and more honey, with plenty of body. Finish: long, on oranges studded with cloves. Comments: an Auchroisk very much driven by spices, in the exact opposite style to the previous one. Very good.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Right, let's round off this little cavalcade with some ex-bourbon...

Auchroisk 15 yo 2008/2024 (54.1%, Dràm Mor, first fill bourbon, cask #816738, 231 bottles)

Once again, I must apologise for the inappropriate or missing accents in 'Dràm Mor'. Your understanding is greatly appreciated. Colour: white wine. Nose: there we are, fresh bread, wheat beer, wood varnish, linoleum, nail polish remover... It's all very rustic, and we rather like it. With water: it's almost a backwards journey towards the barley grain itself. Mouth (neat) ah, very good, beer, very ripe apples, caramelised apples, vanilla cake, green tea, grass... It's not extravagant, but its heart is absolutely in the right place. With water: pistachio syrup and preserved cédrat (or citron but they call them cédrat in Corsica before making… err, liqueurs out of them, naturally). Finish: long, preserved, on cédrat liqueur. Right. Comments: simply excellent.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

We'll have more young Auchroisks over the coming weeks, but in the meantime, pace e salute.

Check the index of all Auchroisk we've tasted