Auchentoshan Solera

The Auchentoshan (pronounced: ock-en-tosh-shen) Solera was on my list of bottles to find ever since I saw it posted on Instagram awhile back. The tasting notes sounded delicious, and different from the citrusy stuff I’m used to out of the distillery.  Predominantly a travel exclusive, the Solera proved a little challenging to find, but I luckily snagged the last bottle from my friends at The Whisky Exchange. Aged in ex-bourbon casks and finished in ex-Pedro Ximénez casks for that mix of sherry it is bottled at 48% ABV. The Solera is named after the process for producing sherry in Spain. While the process isn’t used for the production of this whisky, the name pays homage to the PX casks it is finished in.

BOTTLE INFO

Distiller: Auchentoshan
Region: Lowlands
ABV: 48%
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask Type: Ex-bourbon, ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks
Age: NAS
Chill Filtered: No
Color Added: Yes
Color: Old-oak / Brown sherry

TASTING NOTES

Glass for Review: Glencairn
Nose: The nose is full of beautiful dessert notes. Sherry, dark chocolate, raisins. Lots of marzipan and nuttiness. Toffee and coffee cake linger in the background.
Palate: Thin mouth coating, but toasted almonds, dark chocolate ganache spring to life. Dark chocolate covered espresso beans and a touch of sherry.
Finish: The finish might be even better than the palate. Dark chocolate espresso beans linger on for awhile, and perfect mix of bitter and toasted almonds.
Overall: When I first opened this bottle I was a little disappointed, after coming back to it about two months after opening, I’m glad I bought the bottle. It’s full of dark chocolate and espresso notes with a nice sherry twist.

Average Price: $175+ USD