Tomintoul 25 Year

Rating: 15/23 Before jumping in, I'd like to call out that my bottle is 40% ABV, whereas Distiller lists this at 43% and that is definitely not a mistake because the bottle in the picture Distiller has is also 43%. I could look into this and probably confirm that in 201X Tomintoul dropped the ABV and probably also the quality, but I'm just going to assume that they dropped the ABV and judge the quality based on the merits of what's in this bottle. N: This does show some nice age. I would guess that it was 15 to 18 years old. It smells smooth and a bit creamy with some subdued wood that nonetheless has a fullness to it. I get hints of vanilla and some light almond, along with that classic Tomintoul cereal of course and perhaps a whiff of tart orange and some peaches bordering on that Irish apricot flavor.. It smells like something I'd enjoy drinking, but it doesn't smell amazing. It's fairly complex and light without any problems, but also fairly dull. P: This is very smooth but it still has some nice spice to it - cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and clove. There's a nice creaminess and then the cereal reaches up to give you a big, soft hug. The fullness is there, though the richness is not. The wood shows itself with this malty fullness and creamy smoothness. There are hints of pecan and almond that are quite nice. I could easily sip this for an extended period seeing as it is quite enjoyable, unlike the Tomintoul 10 and 16. The complexity keeps swirling in this subtle way and that apricot flavor makes an appearance alongside some vanilla, though it's more bitter than I'd expected. This is also a tad harsher than I'd expected somehow. I kind of thought that the smoothness was the whole point of Tomintoul. F: The creamy wood stays with some sawdust coming out, along with the pecan, almond, and (of course) cereal. Some unexpected bitterness does linger, but it's not too bad. It's a totally appropriate finish for this dram. This is leaps and bounds better than Tomintoul 16. But it still isn't great, especially for its age. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much the 9 years improved this over the Tomintoul 16. This is a downright good dram. Good for the money? Absolutely not! Something I would enjoy sipping though? Yeah, Tomintoul meets that bar here. Sadly though, Tomintoul seems to be poor VFM, so I think I will be avoiding it in the future. Dalwhinnie 15 still has a more assertive flavor with more variety than even this Tomintoul, though it is harsher and less balanced. This reminds me most of Càrn Mòr's Glen Grant 26 distilled in 1992. The Càrn Mor is a bit spicier with more vanilla - really, it's a focus on the bourbony side of its character. This is creamier with some more richness, but it's also lower proof. I find it to be a bit of a tough call between these two. I think that this is at least a 15, but could be a 16. A 17 is unlikely. The bitter oiliness is a bit unpleasant, reminding me of the flaws of Sir Edward's 12. Between this and the Glen Grant, I'd lean toward the Glen Grant a hair. I don't think either is good VFM, of course. I think I'll give this a 15, but it could go up to a 16 if I ever happen to have another taste of it (unlikely).

I bought the tasting kit with 10-16-25yo, here's how it went. Nose: 10 is very fresh, you feel it is young. It gives the idea of ​​a stream flowing among flowering plants, with a slight hint of tobacco. Very delicate. The 16th remembers the 10yo, but more full-bodied, vanilla is the main taste. This is also very delicate. With the 25 there is an always very delicate evolution: vanilla, but also wild flowers and fresh fruit, almonds. The low alcohol content makes it even more, as Tomintoul herself defines herself, gentle! Palate: we start from 10, very delicate, but it seems to be a few years older than what it declares. It feels like eating a vanilla ice cream with some hazelnuts and a few pieces of fresh fruit. Pleasant oily texture. Good dram. The 16 is just as delicate, and recalls the 10 but with a hint of licorice and greater oiliness. Very good dram! The 25 is undoubtedly more full-bodied, but it loses some of the gentleness of smell and offers wood and vanilla, nuts and tobacco. Final: 10 is short and confirms the excellent balance, leaving a pleasant hint of flowers and vanilla. The finish of the 16 is slightly more bitter than the 10, short. The ending of 25 is longer, but also more bitter than the other 2. Conclusions: for me the 16yo wins, for the pleasure it gave me, followed almost on a par by the 10, which remembers him a lot, and then the 25: among the 25yo I tried there are much better! Rates: 16yo 4.25 - 10yo 4.00 - 25yo 3.75 ________________________________________________________ Ho acquistato il kit di degustazione con 10-16-25yo, ecco come è andata. Naso: il 10 è molto fresco, si sente che è giovane. Da l’idea di un ruscello che scorre in mezzo a piante da fiore, con leggero sentore di tabacco. Molto delicato. Il 16 lo ricorda, ma più corposo, la vaniglia la fa da padrona. Anche questo molto delicato. Con il 25 si ha una evoluzione sempre delicatissima: vaniglia, ma anche fiori di campo e frutta fresca, mandorle. Il basso grado alcolico lo rende ancora di più, come la stessa Tomintoul si definisce, gentile! Palato: partiamo dal 10, delicatissimo, ma sembra avere qualche anno di più di quelli che dichiara. Sembra di mangiare un gelato alla vaniglia con qualche nocciola e qualche pezzettino di frutta fresca. Consistenza oleosa piacevole. Buon dram. Il 16 è altrettanto delicato, e ricorda il 10 ma con una punta di liquirizia ed una maggiore oleosità. Ottimo dram. Il 25 è indubbiamente più corposo, ma perde un po’ della gentilezza dell’olfatto e propone legno e vaniglia, noci e tabacco. Finale: il 10 è breve e conferma l’ottimo equilibrio lasciando un piacevole sentore di fiori e vaniglia. Il finale del 16 è leggermente più amarognolo del 10, breve. Il finale del 25 è molto più lungo, ma anche più amarognolo degli altri 2. Conclusioni: per me vince il 16yo, per la piacevolezza che mi ha regalato, seguito quasi alla pari dal 10, che lo ricorda molto, e poi il 25: tra i 25yo che ho provato ce ne sono di nettamente migliori! I voti: 16yo 4,25 - 10yo 4,00 - 25yo 3,75

This was the third sample in the official Tomintoul Distillery 3cl sampler pack I bought online a couple of months ago. This well aged pour is the main reason I purchased the set because getting a 25 year old sample of this in a bar would’ve surely cost just as much ($34), if not more. I had a feeling the 10 & 16 year samples might not add up to much (see my reviews for them here as well), but a 25 is almost always tasty. This one was shimmering gold in the tasting glass and just a touch darker than the other two, younger samples. It still felt like it should’ve been darker after spending a quarter of a century in the cask, but oh well. It had many oily legs while not leaving any water droplets behind- I know this isn’t cask strength, but I’m sure the angel’s share probably kept them from adding too much water- even to get it down to the 40%abv bottling strength. The nose was vanilla and bread-y with plenty of oak notes and some surprising hints of alcohol. After a good 20-25 minutes I also got a little bit of peaches in the background. The palate was nice and smooth, as it should be, with peaches again along with some pears and slight orchard fruitiness. There was no oak note at all on the tongue. The finish was medium length and silky smooth, but it lacked any real depth or lingering character- just a slight peppery bite. Overall, it’s marginally better than the 10 & 16 year samples that were included here, but I think Tomintoul takes their slogan a little too much to heart. “The gentle dram” sounds inauspicious enough, but I little kick back or character would go a long way here. It’s just too soft. I gave both the younger pours a 3 star rating and I feel like this deserves a bump because it does have a little more going for it in the flavor profile and is well-rounded like a 25 year should be. 3.5 stars, but at $400 for a full bottle- I won’t be buying much else from Tomintoul unless they push their own envelope a bit further. Cheers, my friends.

The bottle for the review is the mini bottle that is bottled up at 40%, but the full bottle is bottled up at 43%. As I’m not about to spend $550 to $800 on a bottle without trying it first, I went for the sample that has been watered down 3%. I’m not sure who had the rationale to send out slightly watered down mini bottles to consumers considering a purchase of a full bottle, but I’m sure there was a business savvy person that came up with a shrinkflation model highlighting the ability to bottle more stock at 40% than 43%. Anyways, let’s crack this shrinkflation version of a full bottle open and find out how it tastes. The nose starts light and mellow with a bowl of frosted wheat breakfast cereal followed by fruits of golden raisins, persimmons and light grapefruit that transitions to light floral notes then to spices of black pepper, cloves and light oak with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a light floral caramel followed by candied pecans then fruits of golden raisins, honeydew and apricot that transition to a medium bitter spice mid-palate that slowly fades away to black pepper, ginger, cloves and ashy oak with light ethanol burn. The finish is medium length and slightly drying with golden raisins, apple, plums, whole peppercorns, ginger and ashy oak. Ugh, this is a disappointment that starts with a light nose of citrus, whole wheat cereal and light spices that carries over to the palate with the addition of light toasted nut before gravitating toward a bitter and spicy flavor that fades but re-emerges on the finish. There is no way this is worthy of that $550+ cost and much better whisky can be had for under $100. Perhaps these are their bad barrels and they put the better 25 year old stock in the higher proof version full bottle, but I certainly am not going to spend the money to find out.

Nose: huge bowl of fresh cut autumn apples, lemon, sour grapes, bid of honey, very fresh and not at all mature or settled as you would expect from a 25y. Palate: hard arrival with a fresh fruity sourness and light chili burn. Herbal tea aromas along with a woody bitterness reminding me of mate-tea. It sadly is not very pleasant. I mean, it definitely is interesting and has some impressive fullness with a long aftertaste, but I would never have guessed 25y age. It feels and tastes like one of the many popular NAS whiskies from oh so many distilleries these days with 3 to 7 years in one or two large casks. Those aren’t bad at all but this Tomintoul here is missing a twist or convincing character - it doesn’t deliver that and so for me it is just a fairly normal dram with nothing special or something to remember it for. Strange but glad I had it. Worth a try - for me not worth a whole bottle.

Big age statement, low expectations. With artificial colorant and measly 40% ABV, the presentation of this Tomintoul illustrates that old habits die hard. That said, the nose opens up beautifully, showcasing persimmon, chamomile and a dash of pepper. After a sweet soda pop arrival, the palate is hit by an avalanche of spices, overshadowing sour fruits, coconut and floral notes. The oak keeps the upper hand into the dry and tannin-rich finish, giving away the impact of mediocre casks. I have mixed feelings, this whisky appears to be a bit beyond its peak. RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 83 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE