Fruits and spices rise to power; the first-fill Oloroso sherry butt works its magic by delivering figs, licorice, golden raisins, walnut liqueur, and beeswax. Now, the old wood raises its head a bit defiantly to offer white pepper, Honduran cigar wrapper, and cedar. That time-worn cliche of Christmas cake cannot be denied . . . and, yes, theres dried mint leaf, as well.
At first taste, the mouth feel seems fairly creamy. Mild heat works its magic upon the roof of the mouth and throat. Thirty two years passed in a decadent sherry cask means that the angels have taken their share, leaving behind a rather complex array of tastes. Times winged chariot delivers all manner of sweetmeatsfrom gooey aged persimmon to figs to marzipan to medjool dates. Theres also a cinnamon bark note. It passes over the tongue, and then is absorbed upwards, into the sensitive oral tissues, with a kind of substantial woodiness, offering more than is typically meant when the word cinnamon is used in a whisky review. On the back end of the palate, Anaheim chilies and salted caramel duke it out, like two playful imps, within the amniotic flames of one hundred proof fire-water. Finish: Quite long on the tongue, this finish is a bit labored due to some heat in the spirit, as can be expected at cask strength. This said, it only has two percent more ABV, but its burn is more noticeable than the comparatively mild Highland Park 40-Year-Old. One is left with minty oak, some dried fruits, and burning cigarette tobacco . . . along with a haunting impression of menthol on the death, which lingers beyond all else, almost as if one finished smoking a menthol cigarette about a quarter of an hour earlier. Alcohol heat serves as an accomplice to give the false impression of tar left on the tongue from vanished smoke. I must confess that Im not terribly enchanted by the mentholated death of this whisky. It will cost my rating a few points, unfortunately. Water brings out more beeswax, as well as sugar pine wood in the nose, which is interesting. It also changes the finish fairly dramatically, reducing that rather stark menthol flavor at the death. Regrettably, it also sacrifices many of the best qualities on the palate, at least for me. Final Thoughts Triple distilled whiskies, when good, can be really good, but they can also be lackluster. This rather involved form of distillation (no time to explain it here) has always been common to Lowland whiskies. It was quite popular back in the mid-19th Century, when practically every town in the Lowlands region of Scotland had at least one distillery. Today, Springbank distillery from Campbeltown offers a triple distilled line of whisky called Hazelburn . One can thus compare Hazelburn to other Springbank whiskies that have not been triple distilled. This offers a rare opportunity. Discerning critics can decide for themselves if they like the effects of triple distillation, at least in the case of Springbank whiskies, which have the same distillery character in common with each other. My verdict has been that I dont generally like the effects of triple distillation. Some of the charming idiosyncracies can get purified right out of the final product, leaving less bawdy character to enjoy. For me, this difference was especially apparent in the Rundlets and Kilderkins series, which served to illustrate how distillation can affect the way a whisky interacts with wood in the casks. As Ive said, when triple distilled whiskies shine, they can be quite illuminating to smell and taste. Of the mothballed distilleries in the Lowland region of Scotland, Ladyburns, Rosebanks and Littlemills can sometimes be downright phenomenal. However, its worth adding a caveat: these days, the good ones cost a pretty penny. Because my wallet is not as fat as many collectors, Ive tended to keep my eyes peeled for low profile IB releases from the likes of Berrys, Gordons & Co., Blackadder, Signatory, and Hunter Laing. As for the triple distilled single cask 1979 Auchentoshan 32-Year-Old currently being reviewed . . . I can report the venerable old fellow came close to being a worshipful master, and then, sadly, disappointed as the result of a slight defectin this case, his finish. Does this mean that I will abandon all hope when it comes to Auchentoshan? Oh, hell no. Its still on my radar. Speaking of which . . . enjoying a sample of triple distilled whisky from a rather large, thirty-two year-old Oloroso sherry cask was my distinct pleasure. Score: 89/100 [ SHOP FOR A BOTTLE OF AUCHENTOSHAN 1979 ]
Quite long on the tongue, this finish is a bit labored due to some heat in the spirit, as can be expected at cask strength. This said, it only has two percent more ABV, but its burn is more noticeable than the comparatively mild Highland Park 40-Year-Old. One is left with minty oak, some dried fruits, and burning cigarette tobacco . . . along with a haunting impression of menthol on the death, which lingers beyond all else, almost as if one finished smoking a menthol cigarette about a quarter of an hour earlier.
