Auchentoshan 15 Year Old 1998 Silver Seal

The Italian bottler Silver Seal have bottled their very first Auchentoshan last year. It was released under the banner ‘Whisky is Art’, which explains the exuberant label. It is a single cask with a very high ABV. The color makes me think it was a sherry cask.

The nose is weird to say the least. For a Toshan, I mean. I get sweet malt, dried flowers and a stuck match. After a few moments a truckload of vanilla going on to toffee. Some citrus fruit kicks in: blood oranges. After adding a spoonful of water the match turns into bicycle tube, which I do not find an improvement.

It is powerful on the palate (obviously) and delivers a lot of honey, malt, figs and dades (sherry cask?), but also has a strange mineral side. Flints! Pepper and nutmeg join. All a bit weird if you ask me. Diluted it becomes somewhat perfumy and even sulphury, which is not a good thing.

The finish is medium long with a sour touch as if from curry ketchup. I know, I know…

Tasted blind I would never have recognized it. What a weird Toshan indeed. Interesting? Sure. Good? I do not think so. Around 115 EUR.

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