Auchentoshan distillery facts for kids

Auchentoshan distillery (pronounced OKH-ən-TOSH-ən) is a special place in the west of Scotland where single malt Scotch whisky is made. The name Auchentoshan comes from an old Scottish language called Gaelic, and it means "corner of the field."

This distillery is sometimes called "Glasgow's Malt Whisky" because it's very close to the city of Glasgow. It's also known as "the breakfast whisky" because its taste is sweet and light. Auchentoshan is located at the bottom of the Kilpatrick Hills, near Clydebank and the Erskine Bridge. It is one of only six malt whisky distilleries in the Lowland area of Scotland.

A Look Back in Time

The Auchentoshan distillery was first built in the year 1800. Over the years, it had different owners. In 1969, a person named Eadie Cairns bought it and completely rebuilt the distillery.

Later, in 1984, Cairns sold Auchentoshan to a company called Morrison Bowmore Distillers. A Japanese company named Suntory started investing in Morrison Bowmore in 1989. By 1994, Suntory owned the entire company. In 2014, Beam Inc. and Suntory Holdings Limited joined together to form Beam Suntory Inc. This new company now owns Auchentoshan and other distilleries.

How the Whisky is Made

Auchentoshan uses a very special method called triple distillation. Most Scotch whisky is distilled (or heated and cooled) two times. But at Auchentoshan, they do it three times! This extra step helps to make the whisky very smooth and delicate.

They also use malt that is not peated. This means the barley isn't dried over peat smoke, which helps give Auchentoshan its sweet and light taste.

After distillation, the whisky is aged in different types of wooden barrels. Many are old bourbon barrels or sherry barrels. Some are even aged in French wine casks. This aging process helps the whisky get its final flavors.

Sometimes, very special and old whiskies are released. For example, a 50-year-old Auchentoshan, made in 1957, was released in 2008.

The distillery also has a visitor center and meeting rooms. These were finished in 2005, and people can visit for tours every day of the week to learn how the whisky is made.

Images for kids

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  The Fermentation Tanks

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  The copper pot stills