Old Name but New Face of Scotch Whisky With Auchentoshan

THE NEW FACE OF SCOTCH WHISKY. Auchentoshan redefines the whisky enjoyment experience by highlighting the versatility of this Scottish spirit

The Auchentoshan 12 Years Old along with its 18 and 21 Years Old siblings

Whisky has a long history of being an old-fashioned gentlemen’s drink: Something to sip in the quiet comfort of one’s study after a hard day’s work or perhaps served as a digestif after a formal dinner. Of course, the whisky would be taken neat or on the rocks.

Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the more traditional way of enjoying whisky, insofar as that there is no wrong way to enjoy whisky. This is especially true with quality Scottish whiskies from top-tier brands such as Auchentoshan (pronounced “Ock-un-tosh-un”). Even novice drinkers would certainly appreciate, say, the citrusy layers of the Auchentoshan 12 Years Old or the complex blend of flavors contained in the aptly named Auchentoshan Three Wood.

That said, Auchentoshan is also leading the way in redefining how single malt whiskies can be enjoyed and experienced. In fact, the brand presents a revolutionary take on the Gaelic spirit with their signature “The New Malt Order” bar takeover campaign, which was held last November at FLOW Bar & Lounge, Jakarta.

“Appreciation for whisky has increased and matured in recent years,” said Sally Lim, marketing manager for Beam Suntory Southeast Asia, “and we are seeing younger whisky enthusiasts—men and women alike—who are searching to push the boundaries in how they enjoy their whisky.” This is exactly what Auchentoshan’s bar takeover campaign offered, especially with the Taste Experiment Bar that allowed guests to try their hand at mixing a selection of cocktails. These concoctions were, in fact, designed to highlight the key flavors from each of Auchentoshan’s whiskies and how they interact with various condiments, ingredients and garnishes. On top of that, “The New Malt Order” also introduced a food-pairing menu to showcase the versatility of whisky as an accompaniment for a wide range of dishes.

“Younger whisky enthusiasts are searching to push the boundaries in how they enjoy their whisky”

Street Snacks and Jam Sessions

Whisky-based cocktails are nothing new, but new whisky-based cocktails are few and far between. Fortunately, Auchentoshan brand ambassador Jamey Merkel—who is, among other things, an experienced mixologist—has created four new mixes for “The New Malt Order.”

The simplest of the quartet is definitely the Slightly Old Fashioned, which, as the name suggests, is only a slight departure from the classical Old Fashioned. While the recipe follows the traditional formula of sugar, bitters and alcohol, using the Auchentoshan Three Wood whisky for the latter gives the drink a fresh sweetness that lasts quite a while on the tongue.

The most surprising new cocktail, however, is What the Kue?! Merkel, as it turns out, was quite taken by traditional Indonesian snacks he encountered while in Jakarta, and he managed to adapt the flavors of one of his favorites—onde-onde—into a cocktail. Aside from the Auchentoshan Three Wood whisky and bitters, the ingredient list for What the Kue?! is quintessentially Indonesian: coconut water, pandan reduction, palm sugar and a bit of passion fruit as garnish.

For Ye Old Soda Sour, however, Merkel dug into his own happy memories of old-style soda fountains. In essence, Ye Old Soda Sour is a whisky float: Auchentoshan 12 Years Old mixed with three types of citrus and a dash of sugar, then topped with a snoop of vanilla ice cream.

Finally, there’s the strong-flavored Jammin’ with the Marmy. Also using a measure of Auchentoshan 12 Years Old, this particular mix features ginger and cinnamon for an extra spicy kick, along with bitters, fresh lemon juice and orange marmalade. Now, the last part of the Jammin’ with the Marmy obviously comes from the marmalade. So, where does the Jammin’ come from? Well, besides being a Bob Marley reference, it points to the birthplace of new cocktails: jam sessions held by groups of mixologists to experiment with flavors and come up with new mixes.