Auchentoshan 17 Years Old 2007 No. 244 (Maltbarn)

Bottled by Maltbarn in 2024 as release No. 244, a 17 year old single cask from 2007 vintage Auchentoshan distributed to the European market at cask strength of 54.1%. Maltbarn is a German independent bottler founded in 2011 by Martin Diebel, recognised for its hand drawn calligraphic label designs and focus on single cask releases 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 Oloroso sherry casks.

Seventeen years in European oak Oloroso conditions drove deep sherry character into the lighter triple distilled base. Ellagitannins and gallic acid from the European oak build dried walnut and grip, while oxidative aldehydes including acetaldehyde and syringaldehyde develop nutty rancio. Fermentation derived sotolon adds dried fig and curry leaf, with glycerol concentration lending body, integrated with the spirit's underlying citrus and almond core at 54.1%.