Despite its capacity, Auchroisk is little known and few have tasted its whisky. The distillery is owned by Diageo and contributes large amounts of its single malt towards their high-volume popular Scotch blends.
Auchroisk is in the hamlet of Mulben and on the road between Craigellachie and Dufftown. It has one of the largest warehouse spaces in Scotland and stores whisky from Diageo’s other Speyside distilleries on site. Auchroisk is one of the trickiest distillery names to pronounce (ar-thrusk). The name translates as ‘shallow ford across the stream’ from Gaelic, referring to a nearby crossing over the Mulben Burn.
A Bit of History
The construction of Auchroisk began in 1972 by Justerini & Brooks, the blending house and famous London wine and spirits merchants. Production began in 1974. The first single malt released in 1978. However, Auchroisk really came to attention as a 12-year-old in 1986 under the name ‘The Singleton of Auchroisk’. The Singleton brand name was created due to the belief that Auchroisk was too difficult for non-Scots to understand and recognise.
The name was abandoned in 2001 but was the forerunner to The Singleton – a best-selling range of single malts from current owners Diageo. This features whiskies from the Speyside distilleries of Dufftown and Glendullan, plus Glen Ord from the Highlands. The term ‘singleton’ is an old expression used to describe single casks of malt whisky that were being sold at auction.
A 10-years-old expression appeared some years later as part of Diageo’s Flora & Fauna range. This collection champions the company’s lesser known ‘work horse’ distilleries. This bottling remains on the market. Other than this only a few independent bottlings of Auchroisk are occasionally available, making it one of Scotland’s rarer distilleries.
Background
The spirit produced at Auchroisk is light, fresh and citrusy with a malty and nutty undertone. This is attributed by the ownership to the water used in production, which is drawn from a local spring called Dorie’s Well. The water rises from the granite bedrock and then passes through sandstone to get to the surface. The result is particularly soft water, that is highly sought after by distillers.
The purpose of Auchroisk is to supply single malt for popular blends such as J&B Rare and Johnnie Walker Red Label. The distillery was built to produce single malt whisky during a boom time for the industry in the 1970s. This remains the case today, with J&B Rare the main blend with which it is associated. It remains as one of the most sold blended whiskies in the world.
The Geeky Bit
The distillery is equipped with a large 12.75-tonne stainless steel mash tun, with 25 mashes operated each week. There are eight large stainless steel washbacks with a short 46-hour fermentation time. This creates a cloudy wort that gives the nutty and malty characteristics to the new make. The distillery is home to eight stills – four wash stills and four spirit stills. The annual capacity of Auchroisk is six million litres.
One To Buy | Auchroisk 10 Years Old ‘Flora & Fauna’
This rare Speyside single malt is the only one regularly available from Auchroisk. Expect an aromatic and fresh whisky with notes of citrus, caramel and green apple. Hints of dried hay and warming gingerbread-like spice sits underneath, alongside further notes of honey, vanilla and a distinct nutty quality. Delicious and underrated.
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**Disclaimer**: Important information. Please read carefully before making any purchase. This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Whisky 1901 Ltd is not a regulated financial institution and is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Any references to “investment,” “broker,” “adviser,” or similar terminology are used descriptively only and should not be interpreted as regulated financial services.
Whisky 1901 Ltd does not provide financial or investment advice, does not assess suitability, and does not make recommendations. Any decision to purchase whisky casks is made solely by the customer, based on their own judgment and, where appropriate, independent professional advice.
Whisky is sold as a physical, tangible asset and not as a financial product. Purchasing whisky carries risks that differ from regulated investments such as stocks or bonds, and customers should make purchase decisions independently and based on their own research.
Key Risks and Considerations:
1. Please be aware that whisky casks are unregulated in the UK and that the value is variable, meaning it can both increase and decrease.
2. Understand that you have 14 days to change your mind and request a full refund under our cooling-off period.
3. All Clients of Whisky 1901 Ltd must be aged 18 years or older to make a purchase, in accordance with UK law and regulations regarding the sale of alcohol to minors.
4. Please note that the volume of spirit will decrease over time due to evaporation, known as “the Angels’ share”.
5. Please be aware that “New Make” spirit must be matured for a minimum of 3 years, during which its alcoholic strength could be reduced. However, for the product to be classed as “Whisky”, it must retain a minimum strength of 40%.
6. Please understand that as a buyer you may get back less than the amount paid. Additionally, past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance.
7. The sale price offered by Whisky 1901 Ltd includes a discretionary commercial markup. This markup is applied to the acquisition cost of the whisky and reflects both the costs incurred in connection with the provision of services including, but not limited to, storage, movement and maintenance of casks, insurance, and associated administrative and software infrastructure and a profit margin retained by Whisky 1901 Ltd in the ordinary course of business.
As a result of the markup applied, there is a material difference between the Company’s acquisition cost of a cask and the price at which it is sold to investors.
Investors should be aware that this markup creates a difference between the Company’s acquisition cost and the price at which the cask is sold. This spread may impact the potential for future returns and may affect the ability to achieve a profit on resale. Comparable casks may be available from other sources at different prices. Prospective purchasers should conduct their own due diligence and consider obtaining independent financial advice before making any investment decision.
8. Please recognise that the cask price can fluctuate and the price of casks can go down as well as up, neither of which are guaranteed.
9. Whisky casks are a long term maturing asset and therefore it is advised to be held for a minimum of 5 to 10 years.
10. Whisky casks are an illiquid asset. There is no guaranteed secondary market, no guaranteed timeframe for resale and no obligation on Whisky 1901 LTD to buy back or sell the cask on your behalf.
11. Please understand that the products and services we offer may not be suitable for all customers. If you have any doubts, we advise you to seek advice from an independent financial advisor.
12. Finally all whisky casks are stored in HMRC bonded warehouses in Scotland and are comprehensively insured against risks including fire, theft and accidental damage, insurance policy is updated annually. The customer understands that any cask investment can be physically verified via a company organised visits to warehouses where tastings can also be accommodated.
