
January 18, 2022

A good few Tomintoul

I'll always fondly remember Tomintoul, not that I've visited the Distillery the first time I drove to Scotland, around 1979 or 1980, rather because we went to that nice shop called The Whisky Castle in Tomintoul, probably the first real whisky shop where my feet have been. Believe me or not, I don't think they've ever hold it against me. Let's have a few Tomintouls, more or less at random… Remember, it is supposed to be 'The Gentle Dram'…

Tomintoul 'With a Peaty Tang' (40%, OB, +/-2018)

We've already tried this expression, or a close relative, around 2008 and had thought it was a little average (WF 78), but I suppose they have improved the recipe as whisky's Eternally Dazzling Leading Light granted it with a 94/100 according to the brand's website. It was the beginning of the wave of the 'peated unpeated', when every distillery on the Mainland started to release peaty variations. Colour: straw. Nose: they may have improved the recipe indeed. It's a fine smoky malt, pretty briny too, with a little burnt rubber here and there, hot brake pads (after the Grampians) and just smells of 'a working malting plant'. Mouth: too light and that's because of the 40% vol. Reminds me of when the Old Guard at Laphroaig used to secretly pour the 10 at 43% vol., while the official UK version was at 40%. Good salty juice, well balanced if a little simple, nicely salty, smoky..; But yeah, it would nosedive after just three seconds, leaving some kind of bitterish tannicity. Finish: very short and ashy. Comments: brother Ballantruan demonstrates more oomph. One more point, there.
SGP:345 - 79 points.

Tomintoul 10 yo 2010 (56,1%, First Cask, WIN Dranken, hogshead, +/-2020)

Colour: white wine. Nose: oh boy, grassy wax, waxy grass, cactus, carbon, concentrated lemon juice, new electronics (new Oculus Quest, right) and just some kind of smoky porridge. Ueber dry. With water: nosing rapeseed oil and damp grist, or damp oatcakes after a whisky session that went a little awful. Mouth (neat): high tension, with some kind of green limoncello, bell pepper, kid's toothpaste, coconut liqueur (no names) and just more porridge. Pretty extreme but it has its charms, let's give it time and… with water: the caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Well, quite. Goof bitter and grassy and oily maltiness, green liquorice, moshi (with bean paste) and some sweeter bell pepper. Finish: rather long, with some paprika this time, and just many vegetal oils. Grapefruit zest in the aftertaste. Comments: challenging, in a good way. A dying style, I would say, you would have had many more such bottlings twenty years ago.
SGP:361 - 82 points.

Tomintoul 15 yo 2001/2020 (45%, Liquid Treasures, Living World, bourbon hogshead, 146 bottles)

Is that a tarantula on the label? Or is it Boris Johnson? (Keep your hair on, it's just another very silly joke – Ed.). Colour: white wine. Nose: syrups all the way this time. Agave, barley, sugarcane… Then preserved fruits and jams, rather plums, greengages, damsons, mirabelles… A wee fermentary side, beers, yeasts… That's lovely too. Someone should try to flavour beer with greengages one day, as they do with cherries or cannabis (what?) Forgot to say, I've just been elected the President of the Greengage Enthusiasts' Club. Mouth: very very, and I mean very close to the barley. Many breads, pumpernickel, dry fruitcakes, grass juice, mezcal… They could add a worm into the bottle, but I'm not sure the SWA would approve, as they're not exactly the Scotch Worm Association (gee, 2022 starts well). Finish: medium, a tad more on the fruity side. Limoncello. Comments: I rather loved this very loyal and honest dram, not just because of the greengages.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Tomintoul 15 yo 2005/2020 (55.7%, Lady of the Glen, amontillado finish, cask #19A, 251 bottles)

A 13 months finish in an amontillado barrel from Tanoaria Josafer. Good to know. BTW tanoaria means cooperage in… Portuguese. So this is Portuguese amontillado wood, which doesn't obligatorily mean that the wine wasn't Spanish in the first place. Let's proceed, casks move in mysterious ways anyway…. Colour: gold. Nose: hey hey hey, nice! The expected walnut cakes and wines, this soft mustard, the touches of curry and gunpowder, Seville oranges (we won't say Lisbon oranges, eh), copper coins, muscovado, speculoos… I believe I'm rather a fan. Fig bread too. With water: more earth, garden peat, compost… Mouth (neat): it's a fighter. Some metallic nuts, pecans, walnuts, some suet, ham, glazed chestnuts, gunpowder again, bits of tobacco, some Madeira-like touches, mustard, horseradish, BBQ sauce… This is really different. With water: metallic mustard and nuts. Indeed, a good name for a new-wave folk-rock band. Finish: rather long, oily, with a few clashes here and there but that's part of the charms. Comments: a nice, slightly unlikely ride.
SGP:462 - 84 points.

Tomintoul 15 yo (56,1%, Dram Mor, cask #32, refill bourbon / Sauternes finish, 317 bottles, 2020)

Some genuine French ex-Sauternes cask, I'm sure. Colour: white wine. Nose: I'm not finding it particularly Sauternesy, no apricots or honeys or tropical flowers… Or just wee touches. Rather a nice solid malty dram, on cereals, biscuits, ales, nougat, halva, pine nuts perhaps… With water: wee whiffs of burnt rubber, but that may rather be botrytis. Not too sure, something grilled. Mouth (neat): much more assertive, rich, compote-y than on the nose, with indeed notes of vin doux naturel (which Sauternes isn't, but there). Apricot cream, mirabelle jam and sultanas, that's more than enough for me. Reminds me of a Braes finished in Sauternes (or was it Monbazillac?) that our friend Jean Donnay had done around twenty years ago in his 'Celtique Connexion' range. Unless I'm wrong, Jean really pioneered this style, even before Glenmo. With water: finishings do not always behave well when reduced. In this case I'm finding a little rubber again, leather, something marginally musty, and just 'mushrooms'. Finish: same, with an unexpected saltiness. Comments: really love some sides, like some other aspects a little less. Some say that doing a finishing on some small batches or single casks is like rolling the dice. Discuss…
SGP:561 - 84 points.

Time for a last Tomintoul. Let's make it an old Tomintoul…

Tomintoul 40 yo 1977/2017 (49.9%, OB, Quaich Bar Singapore Exclusive, 10th Anniversary, sherry, 270 bottles)

A bottling for our friends in Singapore. Isn't it fabulous that in these Covided times, whisky would still make us travel close and afar? Colour: deep brownish amber. Nose: walnut cake as in walnut cakes, pecan pie as in pecan pies, and a lot chestnut purée. Which, I have to confess, I just adore. Tends to become more oloroso-y by the minute; there, we were in Singapore, we're now in Jerez-de-la-Frontera. Travelling in and from a wee tulip glass, how cool. Mouth: another fighter, and exactly not an old tired 40-something. Lovely meaty liquorice, prunes and chocolate liqueur, rather PX than oloroso – or say old cream sherry? Old amoroso? Crazy old VORS? Mozartkugeln? Wait, while we're in Austria, Sachertorte? I told you, some whiskies make you travel. This old Tomintoul sure makes for a great Airline – 1st class, naturally. Finish: long and totally on 1st-class chocolate. A drop of Jägermeister and one of soy sauce in the aftertaste. I'd love to sing some Mozart, but I believe I will hold back. Comments: Singapore to Jerez to Salzburg and Wien, all in a wee glass of excellent old malt whisky. Who needs Air France anyway?
SGP:452 - 90 points.

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