Auchentoshan American Oak is a triple-distilled Lowland single malt Scotch whisky from the Auchentoshan Distillery, on the western edge of Glasgow. It is matured only in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 40% ABV, with no age statement.

Auchentoshan released American Oak in 2014 to replace its Classic bottling. First-fill bourbon barrels are the most active American oak a distillery can use. Paired with Auchentoshan’s light, triple-distilled spirit, they give a whisky led by vanilla, coconut and fresh fruit, with nothing heavy underneath.

Auchentoshan American Oak Tasting Notes

• Nose: Vanilla cream, coconut and citrus, with a touch of ripe pear.
• Palate: Light and sweet. Vanilla, coconut and white peach, with gentle oak spice.
• Finish: Clean and crisp, with sugared grapefruit and a hint of spice.

Triple Distillation

Most Scotch whisky is distilled twice. Auchentoshan distils every drop of its spirit three times, the only Scotch distillery to do so. A third copper still strips out heavier compounds and raises the strength of the new make, leaving a spirit that is light, clean and delicate. That lightness is why the distillery’s cask choices show so clearly. In American Oak, the bourbon wood speaks almost uninterrupted.

Auchentoshan Distillery

Auchentoshan, Gaelic for “corner of the field”, stands beside the River Clyde near the Erskine Bridge, on Glasgow’s north-western edge. It is often called Glasgow’s malt whisky. It uses unpeated barley, and its triple distillation follows a Lowland tradition that most other distilleries in the region have long abandoned.

Who It Suits

American Oak suits drinkers moving to single malt from bourbon or blended Scotch, and anyone who wants a light, unpeated whisky for a highball. It is best neat, with ice, or topped with soda water and a twist of grapefruit.