The Maclean Foundation’s recent Auchroisk, plus a few others


March 9, 2026

The Maclean Foundation’s recent Auchroisk, plus a few others

The Maclean Foundation was established by the Maclean brothers and their father, star whisky writer Charles Maclean. In August 2025, the brothers completed their row across the Pacific Ocean, raising more than £1 million for clean water initiatives. These funds help provide safe drinking water to over 40,000 people in Madagascar. After some dazzling Ardnamurchan and Isle of Raasay releases, this Auchroisk continues the Maclean family’s commitment to supporting these efforts and is available at Royal Mile Whiskies.
Moreover, Auchroisk Distillery is one of the core malts used in J&B Scotch Whisky. When it was built in the early 1970s, as the label reminds us, it was the largest distillery in Speyside.

Sharing a wee old Clynelish with Charlie in WF's cellar, quite some moons ago

Auchroisk 34 yo 1991/2025 (44.4%, The Maclean Foundation, virgin oak, cask #572002, 248 bottles)

This is Diageo stock, while the cask was donated for the cause, I almost added ‘naturally’. The mention of virgin oak suggests a re-racking, but nothing is certain. Colour: full gold. Nose: we do feel the boost from the wood, yet the whole remains very elegant, rather on camphor, orange zests and pretty much every dried fruit imaginable, all with good liveliness. Whiffs of freshly sawn spruce wood, and, to go all the way, of Christmas tree. Very light touches of gingerbread and coconut macaroons. Alas it is a little late to sing Oh Tannenbaum. Mouth: entirely in line with the nose, just with a slightly different balance, here even more marked by resinous softwood while the candied orange and the famous macaroons remain a little in the background. Notes of amaretti and small butter and pepper biscuits. Finish: medium length, with the duo of fir liqueur and triple sec calling the shots. Elegant signature of coconut milk, with restraint. Comments: very surprising, and quite magnificent, perhaps even a welcome adjustment of the famous conflict between the old and the modern styles. It is both.
SGP:561 - 90 points.

As you know, we never taste a malt entirely on its own, so we’ll take the opportunity to add a few other Auchroisks to the line-up, some rescued from the back of the shelves. Sadly, our last bottle of The Singleton of Auchroisk 1983 is buried at the bottom of a box. At least, I think it is…

Auchroisk 12 yo 2006/2018 (46%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, two hogsheads, 690 bottles)

It was about time we tried this one, I agree… Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: cider apples, fresh barley, bread dough, vanilla cream. We could hardly make it more elemental, but because of that it is really very pleasant. Mouth: it suffers a little after the Maclean, but that is normal. More rustic, with touches of medicinal alcohol, even hints of barbecue firelighter (not that we swallow that everyday), and plenty of barley and slightly sweet beer. Chalky touches. Finish: of medium length, with a tiny hint of pineapple that slips in quietly. Comments: frankly, it is very pleasant and with absolutely no flaws. Truly.
SGP:551 - 80 points.

While we’re in Campbeltown…

Auchroisk 14 yo 2008/2023 (56.7%, Watt Whisky, Denmark exclusive, 27 months red wine cask)

Watt&Co, brilliant, red wine cask, let’s see, if you please. Colour: full gold. No pinkish hues, phew. Nose: obviously, when a red wine finishing does not smell of red wine (wine dregs, little red and black berries) it is necessarily much better. In fact we rather move towards Banyuls, Rivesaltes, but also country fruit bread and ripe apricots. Very pleasant! With water: potting soil, geraniums, black earth, Brussels sprouts. Mouth (neat): blast, it works, notwithstanding the slight soapy and waxy side at the start. Bitter oranges, pink pepper, green pepper, a touch of chilli, then bell pepper, with this time a little more rather dry red wine. With water: the balance has been found, thanks to the intervention of our closest friends, at least during tastings, oranges. Come on, since the season is truly approaching, Campari-orange. Finish: I promise you it becomes more and more about Campari-orange. Comments: a truly obvious fun side here.
SGP:661 - 84 points.

Auchroisk 11 yo 2007/2018 (59.5%, James Eadie, first fill bourbon, cask #805594, 282 bottles)

2018? You see to what extent we have neglected our Auchroisks over these past years? We ought to be ashamed! Colour: white wine. Nose: light shoe polish at first, then barley, apple, lemon and vanilla. Elementary, my dear Watson. With water: very lovely, so close to barley, apple and chalk. Mouth (neat): it is simply very good, still just as elementary, yet still very good if you enjoy nature, especially grapefruit peel and, this time, mirabelles. With water: the purity of a great abstract work. Grapefruits and apples run wild. Finish: long, rather elementary, yet of great beauty. Comments: I must admit this unassuming little Auchroisk is a very pleasant surprise. Superb barley.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

Auchroisk 8 yo (60.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, European Whisky Festivals 2021, #95.47, ‘Red Bread’, 289 bottles, 2021)

Sometimes we keep rather odd things on our shelves, do we not. Colour: gold. Nose: it suffers a little after the James Eadie on the nose, as it is the same style, just executed a little less well. A little yeastier and, above all, rather burning on the nose. With water: a little too young, a little too simple, and without any real singularities. Mouth (neat): it is good, but it burns. In fact we are almost entirely on Williams pear straight from the still, just after the heads. With water: a little better, yet still simple and basic. On a desert island, and if there were only this, we would drink it without batting an eyelid, but here... Finish: simple, on green fruits and leaves coated in simple caramel and nougat. Comments: I do not find it very motivating, but it remains genuinely rather good. On a desert island...
SGP:551 - 75 points.

Auchroisk 13 yo 2008/2021 (59%, Fable Whisky, Chapter 9, hogshead, cask #806196, 264 bottles)

One of the most successful brandings of the past ten years, at least from an aesthetic point of view. Colour: very pale white wine. Come on, shall we bet, barley and apple juice? Nose: barley, chalk, slightly fruity beer (IPA) and apple juice. Of course we love that. With water: the same again, with chalk leading the pack this time. Mouth (neat): barley eau-de-vie and Williams pear eau-de-vie, 50/50. Basta così. With water: a touch more complex, mandarins, lemons, quinces, but the whole remains pleasantly basic. Finish: fairly long, with a little more green pepper and still plenty of IPA. Did you see that, BrewDog? Comments: it is cool, though perhaps it does not quite set the world on fire, as they say in the south-west of France.
SGP:451 - 78 points.

Careful, this is different…

Auchroisk 37 yo 1982/2019 (48.3%, Thompson Bros., refill sherry, 212 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: incredible how close we come to the semi-official Maclean from the start of this session, here we simply feel there has been no boost, and consequently it is a little gentler, perhaps a little more fragile, yet in the end just as beautiful, and above all a little more complex. In short, at this age fragility and complexity seem to go hand in hand. Apart from that there are all sorts of apples here and all sorts of plums, and that is more than enough for our happiness. Mouth: livelier, almost taut, surprisingly mineral, and above all more marked by fresh walnuts, and that is the sherry speaking. Yet the apples continue to dominate the whole. Finish: fairly long, tangier, which is rather crazy at 37 years of age. The famous cider apples, or quite simply cider. I mean the real cider, not the rubbish they serve on tap in pubs. Comments: it is truly excellent, with dazzling freshness at nearly forty years of age. Okay, give or take a few years.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

While we’re with the Thompsons…

Auchroisk 31 yo 1989/2020 (44.9%, Thompson Bros., ex-refill sherry puncheon, 122 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: much rounder and fuller, on nougat and praline, walnut cake, menthol tobacco (Kool) and a whole box of eucalyptus lozenges. I find this perfect. Mouth: I love it, we are extremely close to the sherry, the malt hardly has a say anymore, yet we do not really mind because the sherry was perfect. Sublime walnuts, very fine tobacco. Finish: long, completed by the everlasting orange marmalade. Have I ever told you the story of Mary Queen of Scots and marmalade? Well, that will be for later. Raisins in the aftertaste. Comments: simply a superb bottle, and the raisins that rather rudely crept in at the end are certainly not going to change our opinion.
SGP:661 - 89 points.

Auchroisk 25 yo 1996/2022 (48%, First Editions, Hunter Laing, PX sherry butt finish, USA)

Colour: gold. Nose: we remain here on the classic notes, nougat, banana and pear cake, honey, barley syrup, stout, then more and more pear. Mouth: it is very good, despite the slight sulphury touches from the sherry. Fir wood, gunpowder, bitter orange, honey, dulce de leche. Finish: the same, plus a little pepper and bell pepper. The gunpowder remains rather present and twists the finish a little. Comments: it is good, though the finish is a little more difficult.
SGP:561 - 78 points.

Auchroisk 13 yo 2008/2022 (54.9%, Watt Whisky, 3 months in tawny Port, 318 bottles)

What 90 days in a cask of Tawny can truly bring to a malt whisky, I honestly do not know. Strawberries and blackcurrants? Let us see… Colour: gold, no pink hues, hurray. Nose: pleasant, bourbon, varnish, nougat, crème brûlée, cinnamon roll, custard, toasted sesame. With water: add a little praline. Mouth (neat): it is winey but a pleasant kind of wineyness, driven by sultanas and goji berries. Long story short, there is only that, yet it is good. With water: the same. Corinth raisins. Finish: long, even more on the raisins. Comments: very good, though the sweetness of the raisins might call for a little refreshing. Okay, two or three ice cubes.
SGP:641 - 82 points.

Auchroisk 2007/2023 (57.2%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, ‘Spice Surprise’, #95.100, 494 bottles)

This baby has been rather fiddled with, with 1st fill oloroso but also ‘New Oak HTMC Hogshead’. In truth we would rather not know, please keep that sort of rather frightening detail to yourselves, thank you. Colour: full gold. Nose: a young bourbon side, not really unexpected to be fair. Varnish, vanilla and coconut, not necessarily in that order. Maple syrup. With water: new leather and paint, never quite the most charming combo. Mouth (neat): not bad, just a little heavy and very much on fruity varnish and black pepper. Not easy, in fact. With water: perfectly acceptable, yet the leather and pepper remain in our way. Finish: well, it becomes bitter. Comments: I believe we shall pass. Spice surprise, bad surprise.
SGP:371 - 70 points.

Auchroisk 11 yo 2011/2023 (57.1%, Whisky is the Limit, 1st fill St.Estèphe barrique, cask #22074021, 470 bottles)

My goodness, St-Estèphe in my whisky! Calon? Cos? Rauzan?... Colour: light gold. It is fine. Nose: a miracle, no dissonance, sesame praline, malt extract, dried figs, argan oil. Now that really is miraculous, I think I shall put my pistol away. With water: sweet beer, and not really much St-Estèphe. Mouth (neat): earth and peppers, but also bitter oranges. Very bitter. With water: careful, water makes it snap, which often happens with red wine finishes. Keep that in mind. Finish: medium length, an overall bitter and salty profile, very much on bell pepper, very cabernet. Comments: WITL is a magnificent little house, that said this experiment was perhaps a little more difficult, in my view.
SGP:461 - 77 points.

Right, we need to pick up the pace…

Auchroisk 8 yo 2010/2019 (59.7%, Brachadair, 1st fill oloroso hogshead finish, cask #79, 75 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: nougat coated with liquid caramel, maple syrup, peanut butter. With water: herbal infusions of buds, stems and flowers. Cherry. Mouth (neat): very powerful, very good, bitter oranges, praline, pumpernickel, truffle, dark chocolate. With water: walnut arrives and shakes everything up. Finish: the same. Bitter chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: it is only a finish, but it has been well done.
SGP:451 - 84 points.

Auchroisk 1996/2018 (51.8%, Malts of Scotland, bourbon hogshead, cask #MoS18018, 267 bottles)

This baby is more than twenty years old after all. Colour: white wine. Nose: truly a fine Speyside in its natural state, very much on barley, overripe apples, small dried fruits, jujubes, longans, apples and beers. With water: ripe apples. Mouth (neat): lovely, fairly mineral and fermentary, with lemon and grapefruit and a touch of grey pepper. With water: it is good, moving towards overripe orchard fruits, yet quite frankly it is not immensely deep. Finish: medium length, a little cardboardy. Comments: difficult finish. It is a little odd, generally Malts of Scotland is rather vastly superior.
SGP:451 - 78 points.

Well, we still have plenty of other Auchroisks, but we’ll keep them for another time. Perhaps early 2027… Because, truth be told, beyond the superb Auchroisk Maclean and two or three others, Auchroisk can sometimes be a bit of a bore… Zzz zzz zzz…

Check the index of all Auchroisk we've tasted