It seems they've switched to the name 'Auchroisk' recently. They probably
expected the average 3d millennium customer to be sophisticated enough
to be able to order an Auchroisk without embarrassing himself too much.
So far, observations in the field suggest that this is not the case...

Auchroisk is one of the youngest distilleries in Scotland.
It was founded in 1974 and their first single malt was sold at a barely legal
age in the UK in 1978. That sort of makes it the Arran of it's day, I guess.
The official bottlings have been marketed under the name 'The Singleton'
since 1986, probably because they deemed Auchroisk to be too much of
a tongue twister for the average 2nd millennium punter.

The first version I ever tried was the Auchroisk (Singleton) 1981 (43%, OB, 100cl, code 2999).
I'm not completely sure when it was bottled, but my best guess would be in the mid-1990's.
Nose: Very characteristic aroma with licorice and aniseed. Just enough sherry for my tastes.
Remarkable, it even invoked vague impressions of 'Pernod'. Easy to spot in a blind line-up.
Taste: A slow start, but given time it unfolds beatifully and reaches deep into your throat.
Score: 80 points - A very nice autumn-malt; make sure to buy a bottle if you can find it.

I sampled the Auchroisk 1975 (40%, OB, 5cl), Bottled 1980's?) during Feis Ile 2005.
Nose: Started off quite sharp with mint and hints of sherry. Paint thinner. Sweetish. Spicy.
Taste: At first it reminded me of stale beer - not a taste I particulary enjoy, I have to say
Over time it improves a little - especially after some odd sherry notes joined the party.
Score: 69 points - I couldn't go any higher; this is most definitely 'questionable' stuff.
Please note that it was an old miniature - some oxidation may have taken place here.

I tasted the Auchroisk (Singleton) 10yo (43%, OB, bottled +/- 2000, 100cl) in 2002.
Nose: Mega-fruity at first. Spicy. Levels out after a minute, becoming more spirity.
Malty with a hint of sherry. Furniture wax. None of the liquorice/aniseed I found in the 1981.
Notable improvement after 10 minutes & some water; more toffee and subtle sweetness.
Taste: Very alcoholic. Quite sharp. Hint of fruit. Little depth; flat. Sour, unbalanced finish.
Score: 75 points - the nose is decent, but the taste isn't. Bad cask(s)? Very average.

I imagine the Auchroisk (Singleton) 12yo (43%, OB) was bottled around the year 2000.
That would mean it's a contemporary bottle to the 10yo I mentioned earlier, but I'm not sure.
Determining when these OB's were bottled is difficult; Older bottlings were released as vintages.
Nose: Pretty much as I expected; Malty and a little fruity - not overly sherried. Just right...
It seems to grow fruitier and fruitier over time. The character is that of a rather young malt.
Taste: The profile on the palate was very similar to that of the nose; sweet, malty and fruity.
This is a solid malt; nothing especially remarkable to find, but a perfect sipping whisky.
Score: 78 points - better than average.

The Auchroisk 11yo 1989/2001 Port Finish (43%, Chieftain's, 70cl, Casks #90191/90192) was distilled in September 1989, bottled in June 2001 and finished in port casks. No more than 1944 bottles were filled.
Nose: Oooh, that's nice... Lots of fruit and a little peat. Some smoke in there as well.
Sweet, overwhelming aroma. Deep woody notes. They did a great finishing job here!
The complexity grows over time, gaining more peaty notes. That's something I like!
Taste: Sadly, it doesn't match the great nose. Watery fruits. It powers up, though.
Dry, winey center with intruiging fruity episodes. It all ends in a very woody finish.
Score: 81 points - it matches an upper 80's nose with a lower 70's palate.
Overall, it performed quite well - it beats all the OB's I've tried so far.

My last discovery was the Auchroisk 11yo 1993/2004 (46%, MMcD Maverick, Bourbon/Port).
It caught my eye when I was at De Still with Robert Karlsson in July 2005 to share a dram.
Nose: Extremely rich and fruity; this Auchroisk wears its finished hearton its sleave.
Sweet and farmy with some lovely organics. Funky, but a highly enjoyable dram.
Taste: Quite rich on the palate as well; hints of coffee and 'speculaas'. Overwhelming.
Unfortunately, it grows quite gritty towards the finish. Not for purists, but a lot of fun.
Score: 80 points - although this one might offend members of the wine brigade.
 
 
 
 

Isn't Gaelic a wonderfully compact language? According to
the label, 'Auchroisk' stands for 'ford across the red stream'.
The distillery was the fourth to be built by Justerini & Brooks.
At the time IDV/J&B also owned Glen Spey, Knockando and
Strathmill. They only bought the property after Dorie's Well
was discovered there - completely by accident, it seems.

Apparently, the Singleton is very popular in Japan.
And why shouldn't it be? I've tried far worse whiskies in my
search for the perfect single malt whisky. In fact, based on
my experiences so far I'd have to say Auchroisk single malts
tend to outclass the product of neighboring distilleries like
(maybe) Glentauchers and (definitely) Strathmill.

I've noticed one odd thing about the official bottlings, though. 'Drink up quickly' is the motto here.
Somehow all the corks seem to shrink and dry out very quickly after the bottle has been opened.

Test-distillations with the water from the well at Glen Spey
distillery were succesfull so they went ahead with construction.
Auchroisk was built for the purpose of producing malt whisky for
blending. Even though the bulk of the malt whisky produced at
the distillery is still used for the J&B blends (over 90%, I've been
told) Auchroisk is widely available as a single malt these days.

Trivia about Auchroisk: Auchroisk's futuristic architecture (well, futuristic for a distillery anyway) has won several awards. Most other distilleries (with some exceptions like Arran , Allt A Bhainne and Deanston) were built in the 18th or 19th century and it often shows...

Furthermore, Auchroisk uses a rather unique system to prevent their washbacks from overflowing. Instead of large rotating 'spoons' that are present at most other distilleries they use a chemical compound that is automatically released once the foam on the wash reaches a certain level.