Bottled in 2017, this Auchroisk was matured for 25 years in bourbon barrels. Limited to 2000 bottles for Secret Spirits.
Appearance: Light gold/straw. A beaded tide mark, some teardrops, viscous film and nice thick legs.
Nose: Big on the ABV, an immediate wave of ethanol. Confectionery sugar, honey, both red and green apple and raspberry ripple vanilla ice cream. It’s a very nice and friendly nose. There’s a plethora of sweet shop flavours: Fruit Salads, foam bananas, false teeth and foam shrimps are most prominent.
Palate: A semi-viscous mouthfeel and the sweet elements from the nose emerge first, along with gentle black pepper.
Vanilla, honey, chocolate and some orange citrus come next. Some oak and dusty books let in the background.
Finish: The chocolate, orange and black pepper notes linger for a medium amount of time.
Overall: It’s a decent drop, nothing spectacular, but nice. Well balanced and nothing offensive.