What we have is a blended Auchentoshan decided upon by 12 bartenders from around the world who got together and created this. The mere concept of which right now in the (thankfully) waning days of pandemic lockdown is about as foreign a concept as possible. Nonetheless what have these 12 minds come together to make – well in short something that has some good aspects but also glaring flaws – so basically anything designed by a committee.
We once again suffer from the dreaded ‘tastes like an overproof bourbon, but not’ issue that can arise with some whiskies. Not to say we don’t love overproof bourbons, but when you buy some chicken it shouldn’t taste like pork. No we love ourselves an Auchentoshan, but in comparing this to some other styles it’s just not as good as the solid 12 Year, or the unique Heartwood – and it costs more, which is always the death knell for our recommendations.
What they Say: “Bottle Back: Auchentoshan The Bartender’s Malt, created by 12 bartenders from around the globe, is truly one of a kind. Complex and smooth with zest, cherry blossom, brioche and ginger. www.auchentoshan.com
Box Back:
Auchentoshan The Bartender’s Malt – by bartenders for bartenders.
12 of the most innovative and unique bartenders from around the world came together in Glasgow.
They learned the science and magic of creating a single malt whisky from our master blenders, and collaborated to create this malt with casks that reflected each of their individual personalities.
A true world first, a single malt scotch whisky created by the bartender for the bartender.
- TO THE EYE: Amber honey
- TO THE NOSE: Dried orange peel, vintage port, grenadine and cinnamon
- TO THE TONGUE: Orange wine, saffron, heather honey and black pepper
- TO THE END: London and lingering with hints of pepper and orange liqueur”
Taste: 7.0 – It’s at first sweet and then spicy, but more on that later. There’s an element here of the smoke and wood that also plays into the taste in an actually unique and complex way for Auchtentoshan
Aftertaste: 6.5 – That spice and more woody flavors begin to rise though in the aftertaste. It’s overall fairly nice, but the overall sort of ‘overproof’ bourbon flavor that hits on all aspects detracts here.
Burn/Smooth: 6.5 – There is a lot of this that seems like a burn. The smoke and fire make this not what you describe as smooth as the glass it’s served in, but weirdly it’s not a harsh burn. It’s measured and intense but without being horrific. The warming is also nice as well.
Aroma: 5.5 – Auchentoshan is LUCKY they say dried apricots here before the rest of the junk in their notes because that sense of a dried fruit that’s not too sweet or citrus is actually there. Overall it’s a tad cinnamon-y like a hotter bourbon and unlike a more complex single malt fails to capture the desire to consume.
Honesty: 6.0 – Again they do have a plethora of insane buzzword flavors thrown around, but as we just said above with the aroma there’s some of that there. We like the idea of some bartenders getting together to decide on the blend, but then that might also contribute to the attempted complexity here that is overshadowed by the rest of it.
Mixability: 7.5
W/ Rocks: 7.5 – Mixed it’s an overall more muted affair, but that promise from the aroma of a nice dried fruit suddenly returns. There’s power here, but not enough to cause you to winge, and overall it’s a much better way to experience this scotch.
Value: 3.5 – In short – it’s just not worth it. You’d be much better off with some many other Auchentoshan‘s most of which would also be at a cheaper price point.
Google Shop Average: $56
Website: https://www.auchentoshan.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 6.0
Want to compare this spirit against our archives? Visit our statistics page.
Metric Score: 42.5/70 |+| Metric Average: 6.07 |+| Reviewer Average: 6.0
New to Honest Booze Reviews, or just wondering how we score? See our FAQ/Review Policy.
Final Thoughts: Credit where it’s due here, this isn’t terrible – but you have to be in the mood for a hotter tasting scotch and be willing to pony up some extra cash when you could just move that arm a little over and grab the 12 Year and save yourself some money – while still having a delicious scotch. To be fair that’s okay, in a way it might be more comforting to know that Auchentoshan knows what it’s doing over 12 bartenders – who admittedly likely made a better whiskey then we could.
