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| Four expressions of Tomintoul single malt | 21 Oct 2010 | |
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I've heard it said that out of all the distilleries in Scotland that begin with a T,
only the whisky from Talisker is worth drinking. That might be useful as a rule of thumb,
perhaps (after all, it's hard to go wrong with a Talisker), but I've tried a few brilliant
whiskies from Tamdhu and
Tomatin, for instance.
Tomintoul is another of the lesser known T-distilleries but (like Tomatin)
its owners have in the last few years marketed the brand more and also released several new expressions.
I've tasted four varieties of Tomintoul including one called Ballantruan, which is a young, peated expression
that was first released in 2005. Here are the tasting notes, this time from the oldest to the youngest:
Tomintoul 16 y.o. (40%):
Complex, interesting, rather nice nose: oaky, flowery, also spicy with notes of black pepper and citrus. Sweet, fruity
palate - nice yet surprisingly simple. Unusual finish with oak, fennel and herbs (reminiscent of an aged, spiced akvavit).
(84 p)
Tomintoul 14 y.o. (46%):
Interesting nose with notes of citrus, Poire Williams and oak, unfortunately also a little musty. The palate is a bit hot
but with a little water it's sweet with nice notes of citrus and mint but unfortunately oaky spices dominate.
(80 p)
Tomintoul 10 y.o. (40%):
Pleasant, refreshing nose with orange marmalade and custard, also lemon and hints of mint and oak. Mild, light, balanced
palate with citrus, fairly sweet and creamy. There's not much going on but it's clean, very enjoyable and more-ish.
Dry, slightly disappointing finish.
(86 p)
Ballantruan (50%):
Nice, interesting nose: smoky and fruity with notes of cereal, mint and butter. The palate is young yet fresh and
entertaining - sweet, fruity and chewy with a note of orange. Develops spices and a hint of barbecued meat. Nice
finish with notes of oak and peppermint. Surprisingly mild, balanced and complex for such a young 'un!
(Careful adding water, it hardly needs any!)
(84 p)
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