Auchentoshan Auchentoshan Dark Oak

Tonight’s dram takes me (virtually) back to the Scottish Lowlands, to the Auchentoshan distillery (which is most widely known for their heavily-sherried drams, particularly the A'bunadh) for their Dark Oak dram – another Pedro Ximenez cask finished dram. The Dark Oak opens with double-dark chocolate (85+%), cinnamon, and dried red fruits (minimal sweetness and no tartness), followed by toffee, black pepper, black walnuts, and nutmeg, then dry dark cocoa powder, toasted oak, over-toasted coconut, heavy dusty vanilla, and Brazil nuts, then caramelized dark molasses. This is very different from the A’bunadh – zero candied orange, orange zest, or any other orange – this is complex, but in an all-dark way – like the black-hole of scotches – not even light can escape it’s darkness! For most people, this would be over-the-top dark chocolate and cocoa powder (although thick coffee drinkers should enjoy it), but for me, this is awesome. I wouldn’t want to drink it every day, but it is definitely an enjoyable change from the typical sherried dram.

Drink slow, drink long, drink a variety, drink often.

Tonight’s dram takes me (virtually) back to the Scottish Lowlands, to the Auchentoshan distillery (which is most widely known for their heavily-sherried drams, particularly the A'bunadh) for their Dark Oak dram – another Pedro Ximenez cask finished dram. The Dark Oak opens with double-dark chocolate (85+%), cinnamon, and dried red fruits (minimal sweetness and no tartness), followed by toffee, black pepper, black walnuts, and nutmeg, then dry dark cocoa powder, toasted oak, over-toasted coconut, heavy dusty vanilla, and Brazil nuts, then caramelized dark molasses. This is very different from the A’bunadh – zero candied orange, orange zest, or any other orange – this is complex, but in an all-dark way – like the black-hole of scotches – not even light can escape it’s darkness! For most people, this would be over-the-top dark chocolate and cocoa powder (although thick coffee drinkers should enjoy it), but for me, this is awesome. I wouldn’t want to drink it every day, but it is definitely an enjoyable change from the typical sherried dram.

Drink slow, drink long, drink a variety, drink often.