Auchentoshan 1999/2024 Signatory 24 year old Symingtons Choice Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55,6%

A triple distilled whisky is light in body from birth. Leaving one in cask for twenty-four years and still having something left requires the wood to have been gentle, and somebody to have had the patience not to empty it too early.

The Expert's Description

Auchentoshan 1999/2024 Signatory 24 Years Old Symingtons Choice is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled in 1999 and bottled in 2024 at 55.6% cask strength. It belongs to Signatory’s Symingtons Choice range, created as a tribute to the house founder Andrew Symington.

Auchentoshan is the only Scottish distillery that consistently distils everything three times. That gives a silky, elegant spirit which with age has developed a complex and refined character rather than turning heavy. Twenty-four years is a long time for that particular style.

The whisky is bottled at cask strength without chill filtration and with natural colour. Auchentoshan sits at Dalmuir outside Glasgow and was founded in 1823.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Delicate notes of honey, ripe stone fruit and fresh citrus open, beautifully balanced by vanilla and a light nutty tone from the maturation. At 55.6% the alcohol is up front, but the aromas carry it.

Palate

Full and harmonious with layers of caramelised malt, dried fruit, orange peel and subtle spice. The high cask strength gives intensity while Auchentoshan’s characteristic softness is preserved. There is no harshness despite the strength.

Finish

Long, warm and silky with persistent notes of oak, chocolate and a wisp of tobacco, testimony to the whisky’s long maturation.

Specifications

Name: Auchentoshan 1999/2024 Signatory 24 Years Old Symingtons Choice Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55.6%
Distillery: Auchentoshan
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 24 years
ABV: 55.6%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Triple distilled
Distilled: 1999
Bottled: 2024
Edition: Symingtons Choice

Flavour Profile

Honeyed · Fruity · Nutty · Soft · Cask Strength · Oaky

Investment Potential

High. Twenty-four year old Lowland releases are rare, because the region has few active distilleries and because the light style does not always survive such long maturation. On top of that, Symingtons Choice is a named tribute range of limited scope, and the cask cannot be recreated.

Did You Know?

Signatory Vintage was founded in 1988 by Andrew Symington, and the Symingtons Choice range carries his name. The company today also owns the Edradour distillery in Perthshire, and Signatory’s warehousing and bottling sit right beside it. Naming a range after the founder is not unusual; doing so while he is still active in the business is rather more so.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Auchentoshan 1999/2024 Signatory 24 Years Old Symingtons Choice Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55.6%

Is it worth the outlay?

The case rests on the age, the rarity and the cask strength. Twenty-four year old Lowland single malts are not common, the region has few distilleries, and a triple distilled whisky that still has character after that long in cask is not a given. There is also only the one cask.

What is Symingtons Choice?

A range from Signatory Vintage created as a tribute to the house founder Andrew Symington. The series gathers releases the house itself wants to highlight, and it is named rather than numbered.

How does a triple distilled whisky survive 24 years in cask?

It takes gentle wood. Triple distillation gives a light spirit with less oily body, and an active cask would have taken it over completely in that time. Here the wood worked slowly enough that the spirit can still be heard.

Is 55.6% high for a 24 year old?

It is higher than usual for that age. Whisky loses alcohol to evaporation over the years, and most twenty-four year olds land lower. That it still stands at 55.6% says something about the conditions in the warehouse.

What characterises Lowland whisky?

Traditionally a lighter, softer and grassier style without peat smoke, often with triple distillation. See our full range of Lowland Whisky.

Does it need water?

At 55.6% and after twenty-four years in cask a few drops usually make sense. Water opens the honey and the citrus, but go very carefully, as old whisky with a light body can go flat if it gets too much.