Auchentoshan

Region: Lowland
Location	Dalmuir, Scotland
Owner	Suntory Global Spirits
Founded	1823[1]
Status	Operational
Water source	Loch Katrine (Production) & Loch Cochno (Cooling)[2]
No. of stills	1 wash still[2] 1 middle still[2] 1 spirit still[2]
Capacity	1,800,000 litres[2]
Website	http://www.auchentoshan.com/
Auchentoshan Single Malt
Type	Single malt
Age(s)	12 Years 18 Years 21 Years
Cask type(s)	80% refill 20% First fill sherry wood
ABV	40% – 43%[3]
Auchentoshan Classic
Type	Single malt
Cask type(s)	1st Fill Bourbon Cask
ABV	40%[3]
Three Wood
Type	Single Malt
Cask type(s)	10 Years matured in American Bourbon with 1 year Oloroso finish and then 1 year Pedro Ximenez finish
ABV	43%[3]

Auchentoshan distillery (/ˌɒxənˈtɒʃən/ OKH-ən-TOSH-ən) is a Lowland single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Dalmuir, Scotland.^[4]: 15

The name Auchentoshan is from Gaelic Achadh an Oisein (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [ˈaxəɣ ən̪ ˈɔʃɛɲ]) and translates as "corner of the field".^[5][4] The distillery is also known as "Glasgow's Malt Whisky" due to its proximity to Glasgow and "the breakfast whisky" due to its sweet and delicate nature.^[6] Auchentoshan is located at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills on the outskirts of Clydebank in West Dunbartonshire near the Erskine Bridge.^[4] It is one of six malt whisky distilleries in the Scottish Lowlands^[7] along with Lochlea Distillery, Glenkinchie and recently Daftmill Distillery, Annandale Distillery and Ailsa Bay Distillery.

The Auchentoshan distillery was built in 1823.^[4][8] The original distillery was built by a corn merchant named John Bulloch and managed with his son.^[4] Following their bankruptcy in 1834, the distillery was sold to Alexander Filshie, a local farmer and it remained under control of his family until 1877, following a bad harvest when it was sold again to several owners.^[4] In 1877, the distillery was acquired by the Glasgow distillers John & George MacLachlan.^[4] The area around the distillery was damaged during the Second World War and a bomb crater behind the distillery now acts as a pond for cooling water.^[4] The distillery was bought by Eadie Cairns in 1969, who rebuilt it completely.^[8] Cairns sold Auchentoshan to whisky blenders Stanley P Morrison (later to become Morrison Bowmore distillers) in 1984.^[8][4] Suntory invested in Morrison Bowmore in 1989 and in 1994, they acquired 100% of its holdings.^[4] In May 2014,^[9] Beam Inc. and Suntory Holdings Limited merged to create Suntory Global Spirits, who are now the owners of Auchentoshan and other Morrison Bowmore holdings.

Unusually for a Scottish distillery, Auchentoshan practices triple distillation.^{[10][4]: 16} The mash tun at the distillery is a modern stainless steel semi-Lauter mash tun, with a copper canopy.^[4]: 15 Generally the final stage of Scotch whisky production involves distilling the fermented mash in two copper stills. In Auchentoshan, a third still (known as the "Intermediate Still") helps to give a final spirit strength of 81% ABV (162 proof).^[10] This triple distillation, in addition to an unpeated malt,^[5] gives Auchentoshan a more delicate and sweet flavour than many Scotch whiskies.^[6] Maturation is mainly in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry butts, though some Auchentoshans will mature in French wine casks.^[11]

Special bottlings are released periodically, including the oldest, a 50-year-old Auchentoshan distilled in 1957 and released in 2008.^[12] The distillery has a visitor centre and conference facilities, both completed in 2005, and is open to the public for tours every day of the week.

Auchentoshan offerings have performed well at international spirit ratings competitions. Its 16- and 18-year scotches received double gold medals at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.^[13][14] The Auchentoshan Three Wood expression won "the best Scotch Whisky and Cigar Combination" in the world when paired with the Bolivar Inmensas.^[15]

• Whisky
• Scotch whisky
• List of whisky brands
• List of distilleries in Scotland

• Auchentoshan official website
• Morrison Bowmore Distillers, Limited (distillers of Auchentoshan and other Scotch whiskys)

55°55′19″N 4°26′20″W / 55.922°N 4.439°W / 55.922; -4.439