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Auchentoshan Valinch

spicy malty
4.1
(9)€42Scotland, Lowland, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

Fresh
Warm
Mild
Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Auchentoshan triple distils every drop of spirit it makes, alone among Scottish distilleries. That third pass through the stills leaves a light, clean malt. Valinch takes the same whisky as the Classic and bottles it at full cask strength, without chill filtration. A valinch is the copper pipette used to draw a sample straight from a maturing cask. The bottle aims for exactly that experience. Orchard apple and honey open it up. Lemon, cinnamon and ginger follow, then black pepper and dry barley on the finish. It rewards a slow first sip.

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About the distillery

Distillery

Auchentoshan

Auchentoshan is a Scottish distillery located near Glasgow, in the Lowlands region of Scotland. It was founded in 1823 and is known for producing triple distilled single malt whisky. The water used in the production process comes from Loch Katrine, which is located in the Trossachs National Park. This water is naturally filtered through the hills and glens, providing a unique and pure taste to the whisky. Auchentoshan produces a range of different expressions, from their classic American Oak and Three Wood expressions to their more exclusive and limited releases. The whisky is matured in a variety of casks including bourbon, sherry, and wine casks, giving each expression its own unique flavor profile. Auchentoshan is one of the only distilleries in Scotland to use a third still in their production process. This third still, known as the "Intermediate Still," helps to create a lighter and smoother whisky by removing any impurities and adding to the complexity of the flavour.

3.7Average rating

47Whiskies on Distilld

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About the Auchentoshan Valinch

Auchentoshan Valinch is a cask strength single malt Scotch whisky from the Lowland region of Scotland. The distillery released it at 57.5% and left it non chill-filtered, so nothing gets stripped out before bottling. There is no age statement. Inside is the same spirit as the Classic expression, matured in bourbon casks and simply never reduced. That difference in strength changes the whole texture of the dram. Auchentoshan is the only Scottish distillery that triple distils every drop it makes, a practice more common in Ireland. Three passes through the stills push the new make spirit higher in strength than any other in Scotland. What comes off is light, clean and unusually pure. Because the spirit carries so little heaviness, the wood has room to work. That is why bourbon casks show up so clearly in this bottling. Sniff it and fresh fruit comes first: stewed apple, melon, a squeeze of lime. Honey and marzipan sit behind that, with a touch of caramel. The strength shows itself on the palate as cinnamon, ginger and cracked black pepper, cut by grapefruit and lemon. Sweet vanilla holds the middle. The texture stays oily rather than sharp. A long finish dries out slowly into barley, oak and more pepper. The name is not decoration. A valinch is the copper pipette used to pull whisky from a cask and check how it is maturing. Only 2,000 cases made up the first run, released globally in July 2011. It was planned as an annual small batch for Father's Day. Where the Classic is reduced and filtered for easy drinking, Auchentoshan Valinch keeps its weight and bite. Senior blender Jeremy Stephens pitched it as sampling at source.