Auchentoshan 12 Year Old

Nose: gentle. Light citrus, a bit of chocolate fudge, and...a touch of smoke? I swear I'm not crazy, it's there. Not exactly peat smoke, maybe more like faint cigar ash. Also some florals. Summer meadow. Not the most captivating nose ever, but still interesting.

Taste: light- to medium-bodied. That smoke I noticed on the nose is more apparent now. A touch of bitterness as well. Not too sweet. The vanilla and citrus are there and gone. The signature nuttiness of almonds coming through now.

Finish: that light smoke and bitterness remains, but fades quickly, as does the slight sherry sweetness.

Balance: I've never gotten along too well with Auchentoshan. It always seems a little out of sync to me, and while this is a perfectly drinkable dram it still seems off-key. While it's not known for being even lightly peated, this isn't the first time I've noticed smoke in Auchie; the old 10 year old had it as well. Not that a bit of smoke is a bad thing, but for me it doesn't quite come together here.

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