| |
Dwelling
1000’s of tastings,
all of the music,
all of the rambligs
and all of the enjoyable
(hopefully!)
Whiskyfun.com
Assured ad-free
copyright 2002-2022
|
 |
|
| Hello, that is considered one of our (nearly) every day tastings. Santé! |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
January 18, 2022
|
|
  |
|
I will all the time fondly keep in mind Tomintoul, not that I’ve visited the Distillery the primary time I drove to Scotland, round 1979 or 1980, quite as a result of we went to that good store known as The Whisky Fort in Tomintoul, most likely the primary actual whisky store the place my toes have been. Imagine me or not, I do not assume they’ve ever maintain it in opposition to me. Let’s have a couple of Tomintouls, kind of at random… Keep in mind, it’s presupposed to be ‘The Mild Dram’…
|
 |
|
|
Tomintoul ‘With a Peaty Tang’ (40%, OB, +/-2018) 
We have already tried this expression, or an in depth relative, round 2008 and had thought it was slightly common (WF 78), however I suppose they’ve improved the recipe as whisky’s Eternally Dazzling Main Mild granted it with a 94/100 in keeping with the model’s web site. It was the start of the wave of the ‘peated unpeated’, when each distillery on the Mainland began to launch peaty variations. Color: straw. Nostril: they might have improved the recipe certainly. It is a tremendous smoky malt, fairly briny too, with slightly burnt rubber right here and there, sizzling brake pads (after the Grampians) and simply smells of ‘a working malting plant’. Mouth: too mild and that is due to the 40% vol. Jogs my memory of when the Outdated Guard at Laphroaig used to secretly pour the ten at 43% vol., whereas the official UK model was at 40%. Good salty juice, properly balanced if slightly easy, properly salty, smoky..; However yeah, it will nosedive after simply three seconds, leaving some sort of bitterish tannicity. End: very brief and ashy. Feedback: brother Ballantruan demonstrates extra oomph. Yet one more level, there.
SGP:345 – 79 factors. |
|
|
Tomintoul 10 yo 2010 (56,1%, First Cask, WIN Dranken, hogshead, +/-2020) 
Color: white wine. Nostril: oh boy, grassy wax, waxy grass, cactus, carbon, concentrated lemon juice, new electronics (new Oculus Quest, proper) and just a few sort of smoky porridge. Ueber dry. With water: nosing rapeseed oil and damp grist, or damp oatcakes after a whisky session that went slightly terrible. Mouth (neat): excessive rigidity, with some sort of inexperienced limoncello, bell pepper, child’s toothpaste, coconut liqueur (no names) and simply extra porridge. Fairly excessive but it surely has its charms, let’s give it time and… with water: the caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Effectively, fairly. Goof bitter and grassy and oily maltiness, inexperienced liquorice, moshi (with bean paste) and a few sweeter bell pepper. End: quite lengthy, with some paprika this time, and simply many vegetal oils. Grapefruit zest within the aftertaste. Feedback: difficult, in a great way. A dying model, I’d say, you’d have had many extra such bottlings twenty years in the past.
SGP:361 – 82 factors. |
|
|
Tomintoul 15 yo 2001/2020 (45%, Liquid Treasures, Residing World, bourbon hogshead, 146 bottles) 
Is {that a} tarantula on the label? Or is it Boris Johnson? (Hold your hair on, it is simply one other very foolish joke – Ed.). Color: white wine. Nostril: syrups all the best way this time. Agave, barley, sugarcane… Then preserved fruits and jams, quite plums, greengages, damsons, mirabelles… A wee fermentary aspect, beers, yeasts… That is pretty too. Somebody ought to attempt to flavour beer with greengages in the future, as they do with cherries or hashish (what?) Forgot to say, I’ve simply been elected the President of the Greengage Lovers’ Membership. Mouth: very very, and I imply very near the barley. Many breads, pumpernickel, dry fruitcakes, grass juice, mezcal… They might add a worm into the bottle, however I am undecided the SWA would approve, as they don’t seem to be precisely the Scotch Worm Affiliation (gee, 2022 begins properly). End: medium, a tad extra on the fruity aspect. Limoncello. Feedback: I quite beloved this very loyal and sincere dram, not simply due to the greengages.
SGP:551 – 85 factors. |
|
|
Tomintoul 15 yo 2005/2020 (55.7%, Girl of the Glen, amontillado end, cask #19A, 251 bottles) 
A 13 months end in an amontillado barrel from Tanoaria Josafer. Good to know. BTW tanoaria means cooperage in… Portuguese. So that is Portuguese amontillado wooden, which does not obligatorily imply that the wine wasn’t Spanish within the first place. Let’s proceed, casks transfer in mysterious methods anyway…. Color: gold. Nostril: hey hey hey, good! The anticipated walnut desserts and wines, this smooth mustard, the touches of curry and gunpowder, Seville oranges (we can’t say Lisbon oranges, eh), copper cash, muscovado, speculoos… I imagine I am quite a fan. Fig bread too. With water: extra earth, backyard peat, compost… Mouth (neat): it is a fighter. Some metallic nuts, pecans, walnuts, some suet, ham, glazed chestnuts, gunpowder once more, bits of tobacco, some Madeira-like touches, mustard, horseradish, BBQ sauce… That is actually completely different. With water: metallic mustard and nuts. Certainly, a very good title for a new-wave folk-rock band. End: quite lengthy, oily, with a couple of clashes right here and there however that is a part of the charms. Feedback: a pleasant, barely unlikely journey.
SGP:462 – 84 factors. |
|
|
Tomintoul 15 yo (56,1%, Dram Mor, cask #32, refill bourbon / Sauternes end, 317 bottles, 2020)
Some real French ex-Sauternes cask, I am certain. Color: white wine. Nostril: I am not discovering it notably Sauternesy, no apricots or honeys or tropical flowers… Or simply wee touches. Somewhat a pleasant strong malty dram, on cereals, biscuits, ales, nougat, halva, pine nuts maybe… With water: wee whiffs of burnt rubber, however that will quite be botrytis. Not too certain, one thing grilled. Mouth (neat): far more assertive, wealthy, compote-y than on the nostril, with certainly notes of vin doux naturel (which Sauternes is not, however there). Apricot cream, mirabelle jam and sultanas, that is greater than sufficient for me. Jogs my memory of a Braes completed in Sauternes (or was it Monbazillac?) that our pal Jean Donnay had performed round twenty years in the past in his ‘Celtique Connexion’ vary. Until I am unsuitable, Jean actually pioneered this model, even earlier than Glenmo. With water: finishings don’t all the time behave properly when diminished. On this case I am discovering slightly rubber once more, leather-based, one thing marginally musty, and simply ‘mushrooms’. End: similar, with an sudden saltiness. Feedback: actually love some sides, like another points rather less. Some say that doing a ending on some small batches or single casks is like rolling the cube. Focus on…
SGP:561 – 84 factors. |
|
Time for a final Tomintoul. Let’s make it an outdated Tomintoul…
|
|
|
Tomintoul 40 yo 1977/2017 (49.9%, OB, Quaich Bar Singapore Unique, tenth Anniversary, sherry, 270 bottles) 
A bottling for our associates in Singapore. Is not it fabulous that in these Covided occasions, whisky would nonetheless make us journey shut and afar? Color: deep brownish amber. Nostril: walnut cake as in walnut desserts, pecan pie as in pecan pies, and loads chestnut purée. Which, I’ve to admit, I simply adore. Tends to grow to be extra oloroso-y by the minute; there, we have been in Singapore, we’re now in Jerez-de-la-Frontera. Travelling in and from a wee tulip glass, how cool. Mouth: one other fighter, and precisely not an outdated drained 40-something. Beautiful meaty liquorice, prunes and chocolate liqueur, quite PX than oloroso – or say outdated cream sherry? Outdated amoroso? Loopy outdated VORS? Mozartkugeln? Wait, whereas we’re in Austria, Sachertorte? I informed you, some whiskies make you journey. This outdated Tomintoul certain makes for a terrific Airline – 1st class, naturally. End: lengthy and completely on 1st-class chocolate. A drop of Jägermeister and considered one of soy sauce within the aftertaste. I might like to sing some Mozart, however I imagine I’ll maintain again. Feedback: Singapore to Jerez to Salzburg and Wien, all in a wee glass of wonderful outdated malt whisky. Who wants Air France anyway?
SGP:452 – 90 factors. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
