Auchentoshan 12y

This is the only Lowlands in my collection. My initial impression was quite underwhelming, so I set the bottle aside for two months. Still, I went into this with low expectations. Four of us tasted this alongside Compass Box Spice Tree, Laphroaig Cardeas Fino and Ardbeg An Oa. This was second in the line-up after Spice Tree.

Like the Spice Tree, this is well crafted and there is great consistency here across nose, palate and finish. This was the least favorite of the four in our tasting, but we all still liked it quite a bit. It is a bit of an "easy sipper," kind of like Suntory Toki, which we use for highballs, and my wife suggested it could be used for occasional mixing. While quite aromatic and pleasant, it was quite a bit more one-dimensional than the others in our line up. At $32 it's less than half the price of the other bottles we tried, and so definitely a contender in its price range, but despite that I'm not sure if we'd buy another bottle. Not sure I'd give this as a gift either, because I don't think it showcases what Scotch can be. That being said, the two newcomers among us gave it very high marks, so maybe I am wrong and it is good for beginners? Ratings (by our initials): CO: 78, BO: 78, TF: 85, MF: 85.