Auchentoshan 10 Year Old (bottled 1984)

This was one of the first ever bottlings of Auchentoshan since the takeover by Stanley P. Morrison in 1984. It was released that year (so it is still a distillate from the Eadie Cairns era). The cream colored label is a dead giveaway. Eadie Cairns used black labels. This was the aperitif on my 44th birthday tasting.

The nose is surprisingly grainy on sweet malt with dried grass and ditto flowers. A touch of OBE, but all the way in the back. White fruit with pears in the lead, the signature citrus is conspicuously absent. Slowly but surely it becomes more fruity and after a minute or two I also get caramel and icing sugar. Make that butterscotch.

The attack is a bit sharp, but softens immediately. Honeysweet and lightly peppery and now some citrus does shine through, but the European white fruit dominates. Mildly creamy.

The finish is rather short, but very sweet, as it is supposed to be with an aperitif style whisky.

Far from grand, but a very pleasant Lowlander from an era long gone.

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