As Bert Bruyneel would say: “who tried more than five Auchroisk expressions so far”? True, they’re few and far between, so thanks for helping us discover this distillery. This Auchroisk 1996 is the latest release under his Asta Morris label.
Auchroisk 16 yo 1996 (53,5%, Asta Morris 2012, cask AM014, 307 btl.)
Auchroisk 16 yo 1996 (53,5%, Asta Morris 2012, cask AM014, 307 btl.)Nose: malty whisky with quite some heather honey, wild flowers and grasses. Nice coconut and vanilla roundness. Then some apricot jam and sticky toffee. Much more classic and rounded than his Glenburgie 2003 (which once more failed to win me over yesterday), even though the grassiness and oak add a certain nervousness.
Mouth: again quite malty (Frosties) with liquorice, aniseed and pepper coming soon after the initial attack. Apple juice. Again that grassiness. Hints of honey and caramel. Fades on oak with some bitterish tea. A few drops of water make the whole slightly more rounded.
Finish: quite long, again a tad dry without water. Typical vanilla from the oak.
We’re starting to detect a house style in the Asta Morris releases. Quite a few of them are creamy, malty, rounded drams, and most of them have a certain twist which make them stand out a little. Around € 60, nice price / quality ratio.
Score: 86/100