Auchentoshan 1999 Bordeaux Cask Matured

The Nose: The front of this has a big fruitiness you'd expect from something aged exclusively in a wine cask. There is build up into vanilla, grape skins and a pasta cream sauce on the boil. To the back there is something of an off note, which at first it's hard to describe!

It becomes almost meaty, but offers candied orange zest, cinnamon and clove spice.

Over time it becomes a little like like the decaying leaves in a forest after a heavy rain fall. For those not so familiar with this smell, I'd say it's a little like a crisp pungent brown sugar sweetness tainted with a slight element of used tea bags in a bin of fresh food scraps.

The Palate: A burst of sweetness is very quickly followed by the sort of bitterness you get when biting into a grape seed. The initial finish is drying and peppery with the bitterness lingering.

Coming back to it you get more of the fruit element; blueberries, cranberry, gooseberry and a hint of sloe gin. Whipped cream with fresh vanilla & cinnamon chase the finish, but continues to suggest some drying bitterness.

A pleasant dram with an interesting nose! I could see this as an appetizer with canapés of thinly sliced ham & creamy cheese.

It's definitely one I'm going to have to come back too!

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