The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Auchentoshan Three Wood
Scotch WhiskyIssue 19

Auchentoshan Three Wood

Beam Suntory · Auchentoshan Distillery, Dalmuir

$6586 (43% ABV) proofNAS (matured in three sequential cask types)
Auchentoshan Three Wood is structural engineering in liquid form. The blueprint is deceptively simple — triple distillation for smoothness, then three deliberate cask chapters that each add a specific dimension. Bourbon barrels lay the vanilla-toffee foundation. Oloroso sherry casks introduce dried fruit depth and nutty complexity. Then Pedro Ximénez barrels — those treacly-sweet Spanish dessert wine casks — apply the final coat of dark fruit richness. The architecture works because each layer is legible: you can taste the bourbon sweetness, the oloroso depth, the PX finish, all integrated but distinct, like the floors of a well-designed building.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toffee, sherry sweetness, dark dried fruits, nutty marzipan, a hint of beeswax

Palate

Dark chocolate, brown sugar, orange marmalade, plum pudding, hazelnut, gentle oak

Finish

Long and warming with lingering fruitcake and gentle spiceWhisky

Specifications
Distillation
Triple distilled in copper pot stills
Maturation
Sequential: Bourbon barrels, Oloroso Sherry casks, Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks
Chill-Filtered
Non-chill filtered
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

— The Three Wood Rob Roy: 2 oz Auchentoshan Three Wood · 1 oz sweet vermouth · 2 dashes orange bitters · Luxardo cherry garnish. Stir with ice for 30 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe.

Food Pairing

Dark chocolate tart with salted caramel — the PX sweetness and dark fruit in the whisky find their mirror in the chocolate and caramel.

Train These Aromas
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