Auchroisk (pronounced ar-thrusk) is a little known distillery based in Speyside. It is owned by Diageo and was opened in 1974 by Justerini & Brooks. The reason that it is little known is due to the fact that most of the whisky produced there (around 5.9 million litres per year) gets put into blended Scotch whiskies. The majority goes to the popular J&B Rare, which is one of best selling blended whisky in the world. It is especially popular in southern Europe countries such as Greece, Portugal and Spain.
As a result, there are very few distillery bottlings around and this one belongs to Diageo’s ‘Flora and Fauna range. This range showcases some of the companies lesser known workhorse distilleries that supply the majority of their whisky to blending contracts. Occassional independent bottlings pop up on the market.
Our Tasting Notes
The nose is very promising with an aromatic freshness of citrus (think of lemon zest), caramel, coconut and maybe a hint of liquorice. The flavour is also very fresh and vibrant with the underlying taste being of the malted barley. On top of this, there is a fruitiness (raisins and green apple) and sweetness, some vanilla and toffee plus the zesty citrus notes from the nose. The finish is quite dry with a lasting maltiness and something herbal (freshly cut grass).
What’s The Verdict?
This is good, it has a full flavour but it is refreshing and we like the dryness on the finish. It is priced at a decent price point and would be a good whisky to have on a hot summer’s day or as an aperitif.
