Tomintoul Cigar Malt

Only a few more drams from the last gift box sent by @cascode. Thank you good Sir! According to the marketing department “Tomintoul Cigar Malt is a rich, complex and robust Malt whisky specially created by our Master Distiller, Robert Fleming. Robert Fleming personally selected an intricate combination of Tomintoul single malts from specially selected vintages, which he has carefully balanced with some rare peated Tomintoul single malt. Each of these individual single malts has been either matured fully or finished in hand-selected Olorosso sherry butts, sourced from the partner bodegas in Andalucia, Spain.” So, as always; is this just a way to get rid of less than ideal stock, or do we actually have a dram worthy of such an opulent title? N: Yep, thats a sherry cask! A toasty and buttery malt presence with a lovely bitter citrus undertone. The nose presents as a slightly odd combination of musty and waxy; like an old antique store. Lighter red fruit is well balanced with a hint of smoke and maple. I am very happy with my nose in this nothing is too overwhelming, nothing out of place. It just works. I do criticise it though for having just enough ethanol presence to prickle the nose here and there. P: Light and fruity with a little syrupy quality to it. Blackberries, chocolate, plenty of cracked pepper and more toasty cereal. Perhaps some bitter citrus and cinnamon spice as well. This falls short of the promise made by the nose. Nothing particularly bad here, just a bit dull. F: Medium-long. Chocolates, orange, and espresso. There is also a copper-metallic taste that reminds me of the old water fountain in my high school from 20+ years ago. The final exit twang is a bit off-putting. I don’t smoke and the notion of cigars is somewhat stomach turning for me. That said, I recognise the opulence and richness they represent. I also get the notion behind branding a ‘cigar malt’. That said, the promise of something rich, long, and decadent were only suggested by the nose on this malt and then things dwindle into mediocrity and a little bit of disappointment at the end of it all. for AUD$129 this is more expensive than an Arran port or sherry cask at 50% ABV. I know what I want on my shelf when the time to indulge comes around. Thanks once again, in @cascode we trust. Distiller whisky taste #241 [Pictured here with a somewhat cigar shaped fossil. This is an ~400 million year old orthocone nautiloid from Morocco, cut out of and polished in its limestone matrix. Closely related to modern squid these straight cones would have housed a tentacled soft body at the front most chamber. A siphuncle (tube) running down the back of the animal would connect the gas filled chambers and allow for buoyancy control in the seas they lived in. The siphuncle could be filled with water by the animal and forced out propelling itself backward by jet propulsion as it pursued its likely predatory life style.⁠]

Nose: Lots of sherry right up front and initially it is surprisingly spirity for 43% abv. Allowing the dram to rest and let the ethanol to blow off a little reveals a very sweet nose with fruit cake, beeswax, orange syrup, maple syrup and just a suggestion of mild leathery smoke. It’s pleasant to nose with a rich, plush quality without being a one-note sherry bomb, and the longer you leave it the better the nose becomes. Palate: Soft and fruity with some gently spiced orange oil and mixed citrus peel in the arrival. As it develops more mild spice appears (nutmeg, cinnamon) along with gristy barley-sugar and Seville marmalade. The texture is surprisingly light and lacked heft for my taste – I thought it would have been more interesting if it had a more oily mouth-feel. Finish: Medium. Citrus oil fading to warming but bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened black coffee, with a metallic hint right at the end. There is a reminder of oloroso sherry throughout the profile. The nose is exactly what you would expect with Tomintoul’s gentle, fragrant fruity distillate being aged in good sherry casks, but although it is enjoyable the whole package is a little underwhelming for my taste. I have to say I’m confused about this concept of a “cigar malt” and having now tried such whiskies from several houses (Dalmore, Glenrothes, Tamdhu, Linkwood, Mortlach and now this Tomintoul) the only commonalities I can find are fruity sweetness, sherried maturation and an attempt to emulate cognac. Which makes me ask the question – why not forget whisky and just pair a cigar with a fine cognac as the Good Lord intended we should? Anyway, this is a good malt overall, not a fantastic one but certainly better than just “above average” so it rates a solid descriptor of “good” from me. However, if only the mouth-feel had more density and presence I’d bump my score up by half a star. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Maple syrup, sherry, smoke, Demerara sugar, Madeira cake Palate: Sherry, maple syrup, butter, blackcurrant jam, barley/gristy Finish: Coffee, chilli, cocoa/chocolate, chocolate raisins, vanilla sweetness A delicious, unctuous and syrupy dram. Very warming, sweet and fruity. Plenty of layers to keep it interesting throughout. #WWD

Nose: cinnamon, nutty, caramel, butterscotch. Palate: not much taste somehow, sweet, thin. Finish: spice! Oak. I really loved the nose on this one, but liked it less after tasting and coming back to it.

Nose: quite light, floral, fresh fruits, cinnamon, cedar wood Palate: silky, cinnamon, sugar, honey, some berries, smoke Finish: sweet, oak, smoke, coffee

This is liquid tobacco! Lots of dried fruits, dates and figs Lovely whisky and of course a good cigar pairing