Big and bold, the production process for Auchroisk makes it a rather heavy new make spirit, with a big cooked malt base that makes for a wonderfully soft, sweet cereal note in the final matured whisky. Across its various incarnations, this sweet nature has been backed up with bright citrusy flavours, herbal tones blending with anise, big red fruits and spice, with occasional hints of smoke.
Founded
1972
Owner
Diageo
Production Status
Operational
Capacity
3,100,000 Litres
Auchroisk, meaning 'ford over the red stream', was designed by IDV (International Distillers & Vintners) primarily to provide malt whisky to J&B Blenders. After extensive testing of the water source, and a week-long trial of the water at Glen Spey distillery, the site was given the green light for construction. While the blending industry was the main target for Auchroisk, they also managed to release a single malt bottling in 1986 under the brand 'Singleton'.
Interestingly, their whisky was one of the first to be removed fron ex-bourbon casks after ten years and finished for a further two years in a sherry butt. This innovative process is now a standard element of many whiskies, but at the time IDV never thought to make a big fuss about it, so finishing wasn't popularised until a good deal later.
J&B sold Auchroisk to Diageo in 1997, who then dropped the Singleton branding and released a 2001 bottling into their Flora & Fauna range. Further bottlings have been released, under Auchroisk's own name, in Diageo's Manager's Choice and Rare Malts ranges, as well as a few independent bottlings.