
July 6, 2018

Tomintoul, four of them

Tomintoul, said to be the gentle dram for gentle people (right and why are you having some then, S.?)

Tomintoul 25 yo (43%, OB, +/-2016)

We’re having this fairly recent OB first because of its lower strength. I have to say I don’t think I ever found an official Tomintoul that totally amazed me. Even that legendary ‘perfume’ bottle from the 1970s! Colour: gold. Nose: it is soft, it’s got a wee bit of gingery oak suggesting some re-racking has taken place, then rather touches of earth and apple compote, as well as a small spoonful of yoghurt sauce or something. Or wild porridge, oats, even pumpernickel… Mouth: starts a wee tad ‘chemical’ (what I sometimes call Fanta-y), gets then a little oaky, sour, and cardboardy. Some sour fruits too… Finish: short, with some white pepper on top of those sour fruits. Comments: really not my cup of malt, this little Tomintoul. But we know there are some much better ones, including some by the owners!
SGP:441 - 70 points.

Tomintoul 20 yo 1996/2017 (48.5%, Cooper’s Choice, bourbon cask, cask #101)

Tomintoul 20 yo 1996/2017 (48.5%, Cooper’s Choice, bourbon cask, cask #101)
Colour: white wine. Nose: gosh this one’s bizarre! Iodine, carbonilium, rotting oranges, cardboard, sour fruits again, apples, seaweed smoke… Wondering if this wasn’t an ex-peater cask. Certainly not a ‘gentle dram’. Mouth: rather nicer. Haribo’s best, lemon drops, bubblegum and marshmallows, wine gums, then some kind of smoked oranges, malt, a wee drop of ginger liqueur, pink pepper… It’s a funny dram, you could believe someone blended Auchentoshan with Laphroaig. 95 vs. 5%. Finish: medium, fruity and medicinal at the same time. Strawberry toothpaste, chicory and malty biscuits. Comments: this one reminds me of the earlier days of independent bottling, when you could still stumble upon some very whacky single casks, that were bottled for the sake of variety.
SGP:641 - 76 points.

Tomintoul-Glenlivet 11 yo 2006/2018 (55.4%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, 666 bottles)

Tomintoul-Glenlivet 11 yo 2006/2018 (55.4%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, 666 bottles)
Three barrels were blended together. If Cadenhead decided to release some 11 yo Tomintoul, there must be a reason; let’s try to find it… Colour: white wine. Nose: understood. Brioche, toasted cakes, sponge cake, lemon jelly, amaretti, peppermint, pine smoke, tobacco smoke. With water: some damp chalk or clay or plaster or fresh concrete. Mouth (neat): yeah, better have them fresh and vibrant. Earthy lemons, some kind of spicy fudge, a wee drop of tequila, perhaps a touch of celeriac and other earthy roots… With water: peppers and rooty herbal liqueurs. Some agave syrup in the background. Finish: medium, rather spicy. Limoncello and Ginger liqueur. A touch of green oak and Swiss cheese (!) in the aftertaste. Comments: not too sure about what came from the spirit and what came from the wood, but the whole worked out just fine. CAD should have a ‘Smart Batch’ series. This wee Tomintoul would have made for a proper member, even if it’s a tad loco at time.
SGP: 551- 85 points.

Tomintoul-Glenlivet 11 yo 2006/2018 (56.1%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, 252 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: narrower, more mineral, kind of sooty, and certainly pretty austere. It’s having a hard time after the small batch, but water may help… With water: varnish, fresh paint… Erm… And pears and white cherries. The freshness of youth. Mouth (neat): lemon and grass juices. There. With water: a tad wider, limoncello-y, fresh, well chiselled, and very quaffable. Not some very complicated spirit, but it delivers once water’s been added. Williams pears. Finish: medium, clean, on earthy lemons, I would say. Comments: what we sometimes call barley eau-de-vie – which is positive! The small batch was both more eccentric, and more complex.
SGP:551 - 84 points.

Gentle, Tomintoul???

Check the index of all Tomintoul we've tasted so far