Tomintoul New Make Spirit 68.5%
Dist: 2014/ Tasted: Jun 2018
Heavier and oiler than the Glencadam with far more impurities. An almost Tequila-esque pulped, smoky white fruit appears. Quite rugged and earthy with oily cereal/ wheat-a-bix and latent coffee notes.
Heavy and oily with plenty of malt, cereal and earth. Dry barley husks on the middle and the alcohol mask the middle and finish, leaving the finish quite dry with an almost spicy sensation in the after-taste.
With water the nose is oilier and soapier, but still clean and displaying an almost chopped liver in oil character. The palate is oilier and a little bitter, however there’s a touch of apricot, banana, malt and cereal, even though the oils are blanketing.
Peated Tomintoul New Make 68.5%
Dist: 2014/ Tasted: Jun 2018
Aromas of pure, earthy peat and a touch of menthol, dried grass, sweet heather, violets, cereal and subtle oily smoke.
The palate is softer and subtler with sweet and earthy peat along with hints of barley, manure, violets and heather. Lovely, dusty barley and peat finish with the alcohol only really coming through on the finish.
Water emphaises the peat smoke and sweetens the barley notes. The palate is oilier and displays less peat and more malt and cereal. The peat is still smoky and dusty with a lovely sweet violet finish.
Tomintoul Tlath 40%
Tasted: Sept 2016
The nose is generously proportioned with mashed banana, toffee, crunchy honeycomb, apricot and fig. With time an almost Manzanilla-esque oxidised fruit note appears along with a light herbal note.
Full and generous on the palate. Less complex than the nose due to the voluptuous toffee’d oak but some tart citrus balances and hints of barley, banana and apricot come through on the middle. Long, crisp, austere and almost grainy or Irish pot still-like. Interesting! In conclusion: A pretty entertaining dram. I certainly wasn’t expecting that finish!
Tomintoul Tlath 40%
Re- Tasted: Oct 2016
The nose is quite oily with fragrant barley and a touch of apricot. Lightly herbal with a slight oxidised nuttiness.
The palate opens with the barley and mashed banana. It has a slight youthful biscuitiness and a light ‘off the still’ oiliness. Hints of toffee’d oak come through on the middle and the finish is a little austere and spicy with lingering oily notes. It doesn’t seem quite as evolved as the last time I tasted it. Batch variation?
Tomintoul Limited Edition Seiridh 40%
Bourbon/ Oloroso Finish
Tasted: Sept 2020
Obvious sherry aromas of raisinated fruit and prune. Hints of pine, almond butter and toasty oak follow. Soft, silky and quite sweet with later ginger spice notes.
The palate is soft and sherried. Straightforward but deep with a light pepper, cinnamon and ginger spice note. Medium length with a herbal, winey, raisinated fruit finish. In conclusion: It’s ok, but nothing special.
Tomintoul Limited Edition Seiridh 40%
Bourbon/ Oloroso Finish
Re- Tasted: Nov 2021
The nose displays plenty of thick, juicy, almost Pedro Ximinez-like dried fruit and herbal, edgy Oloroso. A touch of spirit,, citrus, toasty/ creamy oak and ginger appear.
Soft, straightforward, juicy dried fruit and creamy oak. Hints of toffee and citrus. A little shrt but the finish is pleasantly spicy. Lingering dreid prune and plum.
Tomintoul 5 Decades 50th Anniversary 50%
The distillery have marked the fiftieth anniversary of spirit flowing from its stills with this stunning release composed of whiskies from each decade. Casks were chosen from 1965, 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2005 by Master Distiller, Robert Fleming, producing 5,230 individually numbered bottles.
Tasted: Dec 2015
A mature and dusty nose with dried tropical fruit mix, earth and herbal notes. Hints of almost rye-like herbs, menthol and eucalyptus add edginess. Lightly chocolaty with baked apple and green citric notes.
The palate is quite mature with baked fruit and barley. Lightly coffee’d with earth and like the nose a herbal edginess. Slightly woody on the middle, but harmoniously balanced. Long, intense and spicy with again rye-like herbs and green wood. In conclusion: Seriously intense, which is helped by the abv.
Tomintoul Cigar Malt 43%
Oloroso Cask
Tasted: Nov 2020
A full , rich, smoky nose of Oloroso dried fruit and hints of minerals and citrus. Hints of sweet peat, heather a d barley appear. Not as much of a sherry monster as I was expecting, but still heavily influenced. Late balsamic dark fruit.
The palate opens with sweet dried plum, raisin and sultana. Soft but grippy tannins follow and the sherry cask is more dominant on the palate than on the nose. Hints of black pepper, peat smoke and charred wood spice on the middle. Long with lingering dried fruit and tannin. Light woody, tobacco, peat smoke after-taste.
Tomintoul Cognac Cask Finish 40%
Tasted: Mar 2023
The nose is grapey and cereally with some very subtle Cognac dried fruit and straw. Rather young, raw and almost industrial. Late gooseberry and sweet vanilla.
The palate is also young, raw and slightly industrial with again, a very subtle input from the Cognac casks. Quite a spicy finish with a fleeting, almost tropical fruit note but it returns to straw and youthful/ industrial spirit quickly. In conclusion: I’m not lovin’ it!
Tomintoul Pinot Noir Cask Finish 40%
Tasted: Mar 2023
Aromas of subtly sweet strawberry, redcurrant, straw and barley. Its possibly a little perfumed but pleasantly aromatic. With time a touch of gooseberry, lime and minerals appear. Not hugely complex but well balanced.
The palate opens with the straw-like barley and subtle Pinot character. A little hard barley appears but the juicy red fruits soften. Hints of vanilla and hard spice on the middle. Medium length, a little raw and youthful but there are some pleasantly sweet raspberry notes in the aftertaste. Overall, the nose is enjoyable, but the palate less so.
Tomintoul With a Peaty Tang 40%
A vatting of 4-5 year old peated malt with 8 year old unpeated malt.
Tasted: Dec 2010
A crisp yet rich nose of very lightly oiled dry peat. Slightly gristy as the young spirit component asserts itself. With time it becomes quite malty with a definite fruity intensity.
The palate opens with the youthful element, showing a touch of marc-like character followed by the dry, powdery peat and a violet note. Like the nose it becomes a tad gristy before the oak briefly puts in an appearance leaving the older spirit component to show off. Lovely length with a touch of oily liquorice and hickory in the finish.
Tomintoul With a Peaty Tang 40%
Code: L 06 03 14/ Btl: Mar 2014
Tasted: Aug 2014
The nose appears to be quite heavily peated with herbal, dry, dusty peat along with hints of bog myrtle and tar. Hmm, a little more than just a peaty tang one thinks! With time a touch of oily barley and citrus appears.
The palate shows a subtler peat character. Again it is duty and earthy with more barley and light honey coming through. Hints of toffee and coffee emerge on the middle. Long, gently sooty-peat finish with a lovely sweetness as the sugars arrive. Beautifully balanced with quite a mentholated after-taste.
Tomintoul ‘With A Peaty Tang’ 40%
Code: L2109849CB2
Btl: 2021
Tasted: Oct 2022
The nose is quite phenolic and oily with raw barley and rose petal marc, which makes it feel younger than I remember. Sooty, earthy peat with a touch of herbal smoked bacon and a slight salinity.
The palate is full and oily, but like the nose it is showing a youthful rawness. Distinct rose petal marc and feints along with subtle, earthy peat, menthol and herbs. Medium length with a raw, herbal finish intermingled with some pleasantly sweet barley, apricot and white fruit. In conclusion: It feels like there is more younger spirit in this batch than in previous ones.
Tomintoul With a Peaty Tang 15 year old 40%
Tasted: Jun 2018
A lovely full nose with barley, honey and maturing baked fruit. Hints of heathery, Highland peat, cigar leaf, earth, violet and menthol emerge.
The palate shows a touch more vanilla oak and subtler peat notes. Still pleasantly mature with apricot, apple, honey and hints of woody spice. It really is an elegant palate even if the peat becomes a little more forceful towards the middle. Hints of heather, menthol and coffee follow. Long and smoky with a refreshing, almost tart citrus finish and lingering sweet/ earthy smoke.
Tomintoul 10 year old 40%
Tasted: Nov 2008
A clean nose. A touch grassy with honey, barley and some caramel. Quite pleasant with a granity fresh/ herbal note.
The palate is a bit simple with Quite intrusive alcohol and a slightly bitter finish. A drop of water does tame the alcohol and sweetens the palate a bit but it still simple nevertheless.
Tomintoul 10 year old 40%
Code: L 17 10 12/ Btl: Oct 2012
Tasted: June 2013
The nose is quite toffee’d and caramelized with hints of honey and sweet barley, with time some herbal notes emerge along with a light granite character.
The palate pretty much mirrors the nose, opening with the toffee’d, caramel oak vanillins. Gently fruity with hints of barely on the middle. Medium length with a light citrus/ mineral finish.
Tomintoul 10 year old 40%
Code: L 15 03 14/ Btl: Mar 2014
Tasted: July 2014
The nose opens with some fragrant barley along with lightly honey coated greengage and gooseberry but the slightly burnt caramel note flattens.
The palate is soft and slightly creamy with too much toffee and caramel for any fruit notes to show. Simple with a pleasant citrus finish, but that slightly burnt caramel note lingers.
Tomintoul 12 year old ‘Port Finish’ 46%
Tasted: Aug 2011
The nose is pretty much all winey, red fruits (redcurrant jelly) with a slight hint of grassiness and lemon.
The palate is swamped by the finish. There is a sensation of some honeyed fruit beneath but the peppery port fruit puts paid to it coming through. Like the Glencadam 12 year old Port finish it’s not overly tannic but unlike the Glencadam, the spirit is more robust and stops the wood drying out the finish. This at least gives it some length but sadly no distillery character.
Tomintoul 2004 (13 year old) Single Sherry Cask No5 59.2%
Oloroso Sherry Butt OS5/ 5yrs finishing in First Fill Oloroso
Dist: Oct 2005 Btl: Sept 2018/ Tasted: Apr 2019
It’s a sherry monster with aromas of burnt raisin, treacle, vanilla, walnut and herbal Oloroso. Dense, saturated and screaming sherry with plenty of vibrant, citrus enhanced dried fruit and late dark syrup.
The palate is dense, syrupy and treacly with burnt raisin, sultana, walnut and dried fig. Slightly winey with an almost Pedro Ximinez grapey richness. Masked and dry finish but the treacle lingers.
Water makes very little difference to the nose. There a little less burnt raisin, but its still treacly. The palate is probably more herbal now, but like the nose still treacly. Longer and softer with lingering dried citrus, raisin and sultana.
Tomintoul 2005 (13 year old) Single Bourbon Cask 62.1%
First Fill Bourbon Cask FFB198
Dist Jan 2005 Btl: Sept 2018/ Tasted: July 2019
The nose neat is quite tight and alcoholic with herbal honey, barley and hints peach, pear, honeycombe, spice and very creamy oak.
The palate is wonderfully rich and honeyed. Slightly herbal with barley, apricot and hints of white fruit. Given the abv it comes as no surprise that the middle and finish is rather masked although there are hints of white chocolate, white liquorice and grippy tannins.
Diluted the nose opens up rather well to show pollon heavy white rose notes and sumptuous barley, along with apricot, toffee and sweet gingery spices. Still subtly herbal and showing a little more minerality now along with late tangerine, white chocolate and wood smoke. The palate is softer and fuller, displaying more barley, fleshy apricot, pear, honey, white chocolate and minerals. The oak is subtler but still adds vanilla and toffee. Long with lingering sweet barely, tangerine, minerals and subtle drying tannins.
Tomintoul 14 year old 46%
Bourbon
Tasted: Aug 2011
A seriously lemony nose, reminiscent of lemon curd with grassy notes. With time there is a hint of perfumed white flowers.
The palate is soft, yet crisp and like the nose full of castor sugar sprinkled lemon curd. A good intensity if somewhat linear. Reasonable palate cleansing finish. Pleasant, but lacks the depth of the 16 year old.
Tomintoul 14 year old White Port Cask Finish 46%
Tasted: Nov 2022
A distinct nose of oxidised white fruit – apple, pear, apricot, white grape. Slightly edgy and straw-like with sweet vanilla, fleshy, aromatic apricot and quince. Hints of minerals, earth and white chocolate with time.
The palate opens with some edgy dried white grape, barley and oxidised apple, pear and white peach. Subtle straw, vanilla and earth on the middle. Long, very juicy with tangerine, quince and peach in the finish along with a touch of soft vanilla, minerals and ginger. Stunning finish.
Tomintoul 15 year old Port Finish 46%
Tasted: Apr 2016
A nose of toasted oak and fresh, red fruits. Well balanced with hints of barley, taught tannins, roasted Java coffee , earth, luscious apricot, earth and perfumed red cherry.
The nose opens with the soft, light syrup coated red fruit and barley. Beautifully layered with hints of milk chocolate, coffee, wood spice and tannin. Gently spiced with a long, seriously juicy red fruit and barley finish. Dry, chocolaty tannin after-taste.
Tomintoul 16 year old 40%
Tasted: Nov 2008
The aromas are considerably deeper and thicker than the 10 year old, the honey and barley has taken on a lovely mature sheen and is supported by a dollop of orange fruit and a thin thread of smoke. The slight grassiness and the granity freshness remain.
The palate displays a depth and delicacy opening with the mature honey and barley and opens into a herbal middle. The mature honey rushes back in and it becomes quite delightfully chewy in texture. The piquant alcohol dies the finish out a bit and there plenty of coffee grains supporting the returning herbal character on the finish. All in all good value for money.
Tomintoul 16 year old 40%
Code: L02 10 12
Btl: Oct 2012/ Tasted: Feb 2014
Hmm, not all is well with the nose. Yes there are hints of darkly honeyed fleshy fruit but it’s ruined by the burnt herbal caramel. Sweet and sugared with hints of creamy/ sweet vanilla.
The palate is quite sweet and fleshy with again a burnt caramel demeanour. Big and malty with light spice note. The middle is somewhat hollow with the creamy oak coming through but the finish is a bit on the hot side. A real poor show from what should be an excellent malt. Just a bad batch I hope!
Tomintoul 16 year old 40%
Code: L 16 04 13
Btl: Apr 2013/ Re-Tasted: Aug 2014
Deep, rich, mature, very honeyed aromas of sub-tropical fruit with a touch of dusty oak.. The honey is so deep and gorgeously mature. With time hints of light coffee with herbal flecks appears.
The palate is soft and honeyed with hints of herbal barley and luscious, mature sub-tropical fruit. Like the nose it is deliciously honeyed and deep with a light citrus note adding freshness. Long, lightly coffee’d and beautifully fruity finish.
Tomintoul 16 year old 40%
Code: L2006992 CB2
Btl: Jan 2020/ Tasted: Apr 2021
A big, juicy and voluptuously honeyed nose. Plenty of barley, apricot, melon and nectarine notes appear along with some subtle sawdusty, mature American oak and citrus. Pleasantly deep with developing herbal/ heathery notes.
The palate is soft and supple with sweet barley and a good dollop of honey, vanilla and subtle dried apricot. A lovely seam of citrus balances the sweetness and the buttery vanilla oak comes through on the middle. The honey and oak notes hold through to the finish where they are joined buy some subtle spice, toffee and heathery notes. Still a damn fine bottling!
Tomintoul 16 year old Sauternes Finish 46%
Tasted: Oct 2021
The nose is quite taught, citric and herbal with grass, barley and subtle late harvested honeyed notes. Hints of pepper, apricot, gooseberry emerge. The American oak is very subtle, bar a touch of cream, thus the fresh spirit character is very evident.
The palate displays loads more Sauternes cask character with globs of thick set honey. Barley, vanilla cream and subtle herbal notes follow with some gentle citrus on the middle which adds a counterpoint to the honey sweetness. Long, very peppery and spicy finish with lingering honey and pot pourri notes.
Tomintoul 2005 (17 year old) Pedro Ximinez Sherry Finish 46%
Dist: 2005 Btl: 2023
Tasted: Mar 2023
The nose is rather shy to begin with and shows just a touch of treacle coated raisin, fig and prune. The nose is actually quite fresh and citric with some developing wood char. It’s very clean and does broaden out with time, but there’s no distillery character evident.
The palate is dusty and slightly tannic to start but the treacle, dried fig, prune and raisin notes move in. Soft but slightly edgy, robust but crisp with an almost sharp citric acidity on the middle. Good length with that citrus note continuing along with some minerality which pushes the PX sweetness to the edges. Light green fruit aftertaste.
Tomintoul 2001 (17 year old) Single Sherry Cask No1 57.49%
Pedro Ximinez Butt PX1/ 7 year finishing in First Fill PX
Dist: Apr 2001 Btl: Sept 2018/ Tasted: Apr 2019
On the nose the sherry notes are quite light and remind me more of Amontillado rather than Pedro Ximinez. Quite mature with sultana, oxidised apple and a rich Cognac-eque rancio. I’m sure I can detect hints of sherry flor but unfortunately no distillery character whatsoever!
The palate opens with nutty, slightly treacly sherry and plenty of mature-ish dried fruit and grilled walnuts. Subtly spiced with subtle sherbal winey notes. Spicy and citric finish.
Water makes the nose a lot lighter but it’s still nutty. On the plus side a touch of vanilla and maybe some barley emerges. On the down side it’s a lot simpler. The palate is very sugary and nutty now A little more tannins are showing but they are well contained. Long and treacly with a sweet/ sugar finish. In my opinion it’s not worth £135.
Tomintoul 2000 (18 year old) Single Bourbon Cask 54.3%
First Fill Bourbon Cask FFB37
Dist Aug 2000 Btl: Sept 2018/ Tasted: July 2019
A dense nose of fragrant barley with slightly herbal and tight tannins. Good maturity with apricot, pear and developing vanilla and toffee. The fruit becomes slightly tropical with time and hints of lime and minerals appear along with tangerine, coriander, heather and lavender.
The palate opens with creamy oak and fragrant barley. More herbal than the nose suggests with beautiful dusty barley, apricot, apple, lime and honey. Vibrant and softly spiced middle with hints of coriander and heather. A little tannic on the finish but the juicy fruit balances.
Water really makes the orange/ tangerine notes extremely juicy and gives them a sprinkling of sugar. A touch more oak now – toffee, coffee and milk chocolate. With time a touch of gooseberry. The palate mirror the nose. It’s juicy and unctuous with a long, lightly honeyed and mineral finish.
Tomintoul 18 year old 40%
Tasted: Nov 2022
A light but elegant nose of mature, sawdusty oak, barley, apricot, lemon, tangerine and subtle straw-like notes. Aromatic and juicy with late minerals and ginger spice.
The palate is soft, juicy and succulent with mature apricot, baked apple and oak. Slightly straw-like with a touch of apricot conserve, lime and vanilla coming through. Good length with lingering mature oak, spice, liquorice, drying tannins, ginger and fruit oils. A lovely whisky, but if it had been bottled at 46% it would have been sensational and then it would have been worth the £100 price tag!
Tomintoul 21 year old 40%
Bourbon
Tasted: Aug 2011
A lovely, sub-tropical, crystallised nose with hints of grass and barley sugar. Some lovely mature honey drifts in along with some creamy oak. Lovely complexity with a hint of hessian and Colombian coffee. With time a beautiful liquid orange aroma appears.
Soft and juicy with a pithy quality. Opening with a lovely melange of sub-tropical melon, lemon and apricot. Seriously succulent and mouth filling with globs of mature honey on the middle, leading into a grassy, mineral finish. A very gentle dram with a gorgeous depth.
Tomintoul 25 year old 40%
From a 5cl miniature
Tasted: Nov 2014
A fresh and aromatic nose with lightly honey barley, apricot, apple, banana and pear. The dusty, mature American oak arrives as the fruit takes on that classic, slight tropical aged character. Late notes of heather and a touch of almost herbal rye.
The palate is slightly oily, opening with the barley along with dense apricot and honey. Gently fragrant with a touch if mature oak. Wonderfully fresh and granity on the middle with the honey sitting below. Long and continuing quite fresh with a light battering from the oak.
Tomintoul 25 year old 43%
Tasted: Apr 2015
The nose displays plenty of herbal honey and sherry wood spices. Hints of sawdusty American oak can be detected beneath along with a touch of butter and toffee, which begins to come through quite forcefully. However, it is not one dimensional as apricot, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg mocha and a touch of oriental spice appear with time.
The palate opens with the shrried dried fruit along with cinnamon and nutmeg. The lightly toffee’d American oak pushes through trailing lightly herbal notes in its wake and some lovely honey too! Good length, a little drying but the finish contains some lovely chocolate ice-cream and lightly bitter spices.
Tomintoul 27 year old 40%
Tasted: Nov 2008
A beautiful nose. Frightening depth of rich, unctuous mature honey, toffee and sweet marmalade coated fruit. There’s a herbal note buried under the huge weight of honeyed, sweet barley. Late vanilla, dusty spice and a slight dunnage join in the fun.
Soft and gentle on the palate. A huge depth of mouth-filling vanilla, mature honey, toffee, dunnage and glorious barley caress the palate. The middle has a delightful piquant alcohol to balance and a touch of crisp granite and herbal notes. Very long with a touch of stewed fruit along with some wood spices. Lingers wonderfully!
Tomintoul 1976 (31 year old) 40%
Tasted: Nov 2008
A verdant array of wonderfully exotic, honeyed tropical fruits greet the nose. The aromas are somewhat lighter than the 27 and positively reeks of mature bourbon oak. Amazingly juicy without being hugely sweet. Over time some gratifying herbal spice drifts in and a lovely perfumed/ floral top note appears.
Soft and oily in the mouth beginning with gentle tropical fruit and mature oak. Wave upon wave of oily vanilla soaked barley, mature malt and gentle spice roll over the tongue. All garnished with a dusting of powdery cocoa, malt and a smidgen of smoke. A lovely balance and it still retains a playful youthfulness. Mouth-filling but not overstated. Gentle, mature, divine! A wonderfully mature Spey.
Tomintoul ‘Special Reserve’ 33 year old 40%
Bourbon
Tasted: Jan 2012
The nose opens with a serious degree of leafy herbal notes – menthol, mint, thyme. Behind sits a depth of succulent, mature honey, fleshy, juicy fruit and a touch of granite. Then with time the wood notes appear – pine resin, cedar and wood varnish. Wonderfully elegant and complex.
A soft, almost shy start to the proceedings. Subtly juicy with the herbal notes from the nose definitely noticeable. It joyfully meanders along in its own little world, adding a touch of honey, marmalade rind, thick cut barley and oak vanillins here and a touch of granity-crispness there. Mind the combination of alcohol and granite does make it feel a tad on the austere side. The honey does attempt to come back on the finish but I’m left feeling that for a £135 I want a bit more than just ‘gentle meandering’.
Tomintoul 1976 (34 year old) 43%
Bourbon
Dist: 1976 Btl: 2010/ Tasted: Jan 2012
The oak is definitely in control here. It’s an overload of big, creamy/ milky vanillins, crème brulée and pure vanilla pod. There are hints of unsweetened honey and fleshy, sub-tropical fruit and ever so gentle spices attempting to extricate themselves from the oaks vice-like grip, but the oak is always going to win. In saying that it does have a wonderful depth.
The palate is soft and gentle to the point of over subtly. The alcohol is pretty intrusive and overtly dominates. That combined with the subtly of the sub-tropical fruit makes the palate feel rather one-dimensional and austere. Yes it has some pleasant, albeit subtle (again!) spicy notes along with hints of white liquorice and unsweetened white chocolate but the dry theme continues right to the end.
Old Ballantruan 50%
Tasted: Jan 2012
A young and bracingly phenolic nose. Obviously not coastal given that it is a peated spey, but the peat aromas are distinctly medicinal in character. Beneath is some sweet malt and grist.
The palate opens with some sweet barley followed by gentle medicinal peat and grassy spey notes. Tongue searingly alcoholic, which makes the mouth water uncontrollably! Seriously intense with a light ashy/ spicy finish.
Now adding a drop of water you would expect some changes to be made, but I have never experienced such a profound change to a malt. Where has the peat gone? It’s done a runner! All that’s left is some slightly sweet, slightly oily, slightly cerealy spirit of undeterminable provenance. Personally I’d stick with the Tomintoul ‘With a Peaty Twang’ if you have a craving for a young, peated spey.
Old Ballantruan 50%
Re- Tasted: Oct 2016
Fresh, intense and quite Islay-like and salty with sweet, heathery peat and subtly tarry and medicinal notes. With time a touch of barley and honey appears.
The palate is slightly smokier and dustier with coffee and wood spice. Lightly medicinal and phenolic peat on the middle. Long and dusty with alcohol enhanced saltiness and lingering sweet peat and barley.
Old Balantruan 50%
Code: L20 07512 CB2
Btl: Jul 2020/ Tasted: Aug 2021
A dense, phenolic, smoky, tarry and heathery nose. Underneath is some rich, oily apricot, barley and mineral notes. Hints of wood spice, earth and with time a subtle herbal/ botanical juniper-like note.
The palate is full, rich and smoky with earthy peat, tar and a subtle savoury note. Again a good weight of oily fruit and barley underpins. Gently spiced middle. Long, oily, peaty finish with a b it of an alcohol kick with gives it a mouth-watering, slightly herbal spirit ending.
Old Ballantruan 10 year old 50%
Tasted: Feb 2017
A subtle and oily nose with tarry-peat, barley, rich apricot, menthol and herbal, manurey notes.
The palate is full and coffee’d with hints of natural caramel oak, bunt wood and earthy peat. A little edgy and herbal on the middle. Medium length with the oily peat returning along with a touch of milk chocolate and salt.
Old Ballantruan 15 year old 50%
Tasted: Jun 2018
An intensely gritty/ earthy peat nose with hints of menthol and coffee. The peat is obviously more dominant than on the Peaty Tang but beneath honey and barley create a pleasant bedrock for the peat. With time the aromas become quite herbal.
The palate opens with the sweet barley, honey and smoky/ herbal peat. The peat builds in intensity and becomes the focal point. Subtle salt and almost medicinal notes appear along with a touch of liquorice, dark honey and citrus. Very salty finish with the menthol notes approaching sinus clearing levels and lingering drier, heathery peat.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 