Tomintoul 12 Year Oloroso Cask Finish

Nose: Sherry, dark malt, mixed peel, mixed dried fruit, nutmeg, walnuts, scorched almonds, a touch of vanilla and lots of caramelised sugars. This is a rich, moist, dark fruitcake laced with lots of sherry. Palate: A malty arrival that is remarkably understated. The development expands this simple character with dark sugar, mild chocolate, crème anglaise, nutmeg and other mild spices, nougat and caramel fudge. There are also some very agreeable berry and red grape notes and the texture is creamy with a juicy, mouthwatering quality. Don't add water - it is completely unnecessary. Finish: Medium/long. Pleasantly warming and gentle with a pronounced brown sugar aftertaste. This is obviously 10 year old Tomintoul with additional finishing in some rather buxom oloroso casks. The base profile is precisely the same as the 10 y.o. and the subtle sweet cereal and floral grassy notes, whilst hidden beneath an obscuring blanket of first-fill sherry, still give the expression its essential character. However it is the sherry component that is immediately dominant. The nose is larger than that of the 10 year old and the palate, which starts very slowly, expands gracefully into a surprisingly long finish. This is where the full intensity of the sherry comes forward. It's a placid and slightly unusual progression into a very warm, sweet and lush conclusion, and it would probably be at its best when paired with equally sweet and rich foods rather than taken in isolation. This would make it an excellent substitute for a digestif sauternes or sherry, perhaps with dried fruit and a well-ripened brie or camembert. If that was the intended way of serving this whisky then at the asking price it does represent good value. As an everyday dram however it might be a little cloying. Tasted from a 30ml sample. "Average" : 77/100 (2.5 stars)

While on vacation, we had dinner with an old friend from college, who I hadn't seen in more than 8 years! Not only did he and his girlfriend cook us a delicious meal, they also introduced us to a great but underappreciated scotch (at least here in the U.S., where it's not widely available). Tomintoul is located in the Highlands, actually within the bounds of Cairngorms National Park. It bills itself as "the gentle dram," which is similar to the branding of Dalwhinnie, a fellow Highland scotch. Tomintoul's nose greets you with caramel macchiato, malt, and apple. With a sip, I detect light vanilla cream, apple, and confectioners sugar. The sherry emerges on the finish. Wow, the distillery needs to bottle this scotch at 46% to 48%. It would be a stunner in that ABV range. Where it’s available, it’s priced reasonably around $45, which represents great value.

On the nose, it smells like a sherried Speyside, so lots of butterscotch and red berries. I get a little more burn than I’d think for a 80 proof spirit, and while the sip imparts a warming, lingering sensation at the back of my palate, the mid palate is bland, save for some light honey and oak. It’s almost like it hops straight to the finish without much flavor initially. It’s not bad at all, it’s just rather unspectacular. Such an odd sensation; almost nothing up front, and a long fruity finish.

As the expert state that sherry dominant whisky. You get all the sherry note + heat right in the front. Not sure why it taste more like 46% rather than 40%. The finish is weird for me somehow I can taste peat. If lagavulin 16 is 100 then this is like 1 or 2 on peat. I would recommend this to whom want to get an understand or try to distinguish what sherry profile is. Once you taste this you can pick up any sherry notes on whisky.

Nose: light overall, floral, vanilla sweetness, some red fruits, bit sulfury Palate: starts with caramel sweetness and moderate spices, which becomes peppery pungent towards the finish, just like with the 10 yr old Finish: sweetness and peppery notes fade away quickly, only oaky bitterness remain, and some sourness, like after drinking beer. Some salt.

Nose: Sweet, raisins, dried fruit, hay Palate: Toffee, sweet, barley sugar, blackcurrant, wisps of smoke, gristy malt Finish: Medium short finish. Orange peel, light smoke, honey. Lightly sour sweetness on the aftertaste. This is a gentle, clean and fresh dram. Easy to drink. Not a standout dram, but a pleasant sipper. #WWD