Auchentoshan Three Wood Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Situated at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills in Western Scotland, Auchentoshan (pronounced Aw-khen-tosh-an) Distillery was founded in 1800 and is one of the last remaining Lowland Single Malt Whisky distilleries. The distillery is nicknamed "Glasgows Distillery" due to its proximity to the eponymous city, and its whisky is nicknamed "breakfast whisky" due to its sweet flavor and elegant texture. During World War II, the distillery was bombed relentlessly by Germany, and much of the whisky that was being matured in its rickhouses was lost to fire or spilled into the Clyde River, which is situated adjacent to the distillery. Following the end of the war, the distillery was rebuilt and today, it remains a testament to Scottish perseverance and innovation.Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made from malted, optic barley that is gently kilned and completely unpeated. Once the barley has been malted, it is milled and mashed before being fermented in wooden washbacks made from Oregon Pine. While wooden washbacks are more expensive and difficult to maintain as compared to stainless steel washbacks, they retain a portion of the heat produced during fermentation, and ultimately produce a lighter and slightly sweeter whisky.Following fermentation, the whisky is distilled through Auchentoshans copper pot stills. While Scotch whisky is traditionally distilled twice, Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch is distilled three times: first through a wash still, then through an intermediate still, and finally, through a spirit still. This extra distillation step no other major Scotch distillery uses an intermediate still produces a purer and more refined spirit that dramatically affects the character of the whisky produced.Following distillation, Auchentoshan Three Wood Single Malt Scotch Whisky is matured in three different types of casks: casks that were previously used to mature bourbon, casks that were previously used to mature Spanish Oloroso Sherry and casks that were previously used to mature Pedro Ximenez Sherry. This triple maturation process imparts a distinctive flavor profile to the whisky its aroma of oak and spices is balanced by touches of brown sugar, oranges plums and raisins. In addition, notes of hazelnut and cinnamon are accented by touches of maple syrup, caramel and butterscotch on the palate, and lead to a slightly sweet, fruity finish.The whisky earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2012 and 2013, and earned a score of 92 points from Wine Enthusiast.Pick up a bottle of Scotch whose name no one can pronounce today!