Auchentoshan distillery ( ) is a Lowland single malt Scotch whisky

distillery Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

in Dalmuir,

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. The name Auchentoshan is from Gaelic () and translates as "corner field". The distillery is also known as "Glasgow's Malt Whisky" due to its proximity to

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

and "the breakfast whisky" due to its sweet and delicate nature. Auchentoshan is located at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills on the outskirts of

Clydebank Clydebank () is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, Bowling and Milton, West Dunbartonshire, Milton beyond) to the w ...

in West Dunbartonshire near the Erskine Bridge. It is one of six malt whisky distilleries in the

Scottish Lowlands The Lowlands ( or , ; , ) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland. The region is characterised by its relatively flat or gently rolling terrain as opposed to the mountainous landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. This area includes ci ...

along with Lochlea Distillery, Glenkinchie and recently Daftmill Distillery, Annandale Distillery and Ailsa Bay Distillery.

History

The Auchentoshan distillery was built in 1823. The original distillery was built by a corn merchant named John Bulloch and managed with his son. Following their bankruptcy in 1834, the distillery was sold to Alexander Filshie, a local farmer and it remained under control of his family until 1877, following a bad harvest when it was sold again to several owners. In 1877, the distillery was acquired by the Glasgow distillers John & George MacLachlan. The area around the distillery was damaged during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and a bomb crater behind the distillery now acts as a pond for cooling water. The distillery was bought by Eadie Cairns in 1969, who rebuilt it completely. Cairns sold Auchentoshan to whisky blenders Stanley P Morrison (later to become Morrison Bowmore distillers) in 1984.

Suntory (commonly referred to as simply Suntory) is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and ...

invested in Morrison Bowmore in 1989 and in 1994, they acquired 100% of its holdings including Auchentoshan distillery. In May 2014, Beam Inc. and Suntory Holdings Limited merged to create

Suntory Global Spirits Suntory Global Spirits Inc., formerly known as Beam Suntory, Inc., is an American beverage company that is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings, a Japanese multinational beverage conglomerate. The company produces alcoholic beverages. It is the th ...

, who are now the owners of Auchentoshan and other Morrison Bowmore holdings.

Production

Unusually for a Scottish distillery, Auchentoshan practices triple distillation. The mash tun at the distillery is a modern stainless steel semi-Lauter mash tun, with a copper canopy. Generally the final stage of Scotch whisky production involves distilling the fermented mash in two copper

still A still is an apparatus used to distillation, distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively Boiling, boil and then cooling to Condensation, condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic Distillation#Laboratory_procedures, ...

s. In Auchentoshan, a third still (known as the "Intermediate Still") helps to give a final spirit strength of 81% ABV (162

proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a co ...

). This triple distillation, in addition to an unpeated malt, gives Auchentoshan a more delicate and sweet flavour than many Scotch whiskies. Maturation is mainly in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry butts, though some Auchentoshans will mature in French wine casks. Special bottlings are released periodically, including the oldest, a 50-year-old Auchentoshan distilled in 1957 and released in 2008. The distillery has a visitor centre and conference facilities, both completed in 2005, and is open to the public for tours every day of the week.

Awards and reviews

Auchentoshan offerings have performed well at international spirit ratings competitions. Its 16- and 18-year scotches received double gold medals at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The ''Auchentoshan Three Wood'' expression won "the best Scotch Whisky and Cigar Combination" in the world when paired with the Bolivar Inmensas.

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Auchentoshan official website

Morrison Bowmore Distillers, Limited
(distillers of Auchentoshan and other Scotch whiskys) {{coord, 55.922, N, 4.439, W, display=title, source:dewiki Suntory Suntory brands Distilleries in Scotland Scottish malt whisky 1823 establishments in Scotland Food and drink companies established in 1823 Companies based in West Dunbartonshire Buildings and structures in West Dunbartonshire Tourist attractions in West Dunbartonshire