Auchentoshan 10 Year Old 1999 XVII’s

DH17 is a chain of liquor stores in Holland. From time to time they bottle their own, under the label XVIIs, like this Auchentoshan from 1999. They took only 60 bottles from bourbon cask 800254. Bottle number 1 is in my collection (and will remain closed), but I am tasting this from a sample I poured after a Meet the Blogger tasting I did in Belgium, where this Toshan was part of the line-up.

The nose is very clean and malty (a lot of grain), but the typical citrus and vanilla are hardly there. In its stead I get a rather flat sensation of wet cardboard. And dill. Weird.

On the palate, I cannot shake the feeling that this was a bad cask. No, seriously. This is not good. Some citrus is trying to break through, but it fails. Rather spirity, loads of alcohol and grain. The only good thing about it is the oak, liquorice and pepper. Pity.

The finish is mercifully short.

This is really not good. Really. Not. Good. One of the worst Toshan I have tried sof ar. That is not how I remember it from the first time I tried it during that tasting session. Shame. Apart from this Auchentoshan, they also bottled a Cragganmore 1992, Highland Park 1989 and Laphroaig 2000.

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