Auchentoshan 15 Years Old 2007 Cask Series 023 (North Star)

Bottled by North Star Spirits in 2023 as a 15 year old release in Cask Series 023, drawn from 2007 vintage Auchentoshan with 295 bottles distributed as an event exclusive at cask strength of 54%. North Star Spirits is an independent bottler founded in Glasgow in 2016 by Iain Croucher, with the Cask Series presenting numbered editions selected at natural strength.

Distilled in 2007 from 100% unpeated malted barley with Loch Cochno water from the Kilpatrick Hills, the wash was fermented around 62 hours across Douglas fir and stainless steel washbacks before triple distillation. Auchentoshan runs every drop through three copper pot stills, with the intermediate and spirit stages collecting at around 81% ABV. The extra copper contact strips sulphur compounds and fusel oils while concentrating ethyl hexanoate, isoamyl acetate, and other light esters, giving a clean spirit base filled into red wine casks.

Fifteen years in red wine casks drove distinctive secondary character into the lighter triple distilled base. Anthocyanin pigments and tannic ellagitannins from the wine soaked staves bring red berry and grippy tannin, while residual wine contributes glycerol body and lactic compounds. Subtle gamma butyrolactone development gives soft sweet wood, with continued ester transformation at 54% integrating wine cask influence and the spirit's underlying citrus and almond core.