Whisky

A 15-year-old expression of Old Balantruan, the peated line from Tomintoul distillery. Bottled at 50% ABV, this is a laid-back beast of a whisky; big peat smoke rolls around the mouth along with softer Speyside flavours - vanilla, toffee and a touch of woodiness.

Tamnavulin Double Cask was the first release from the distillery since the 1990s! Over the past 20 or so years, the distillery changed hands from Invergordon Distillers to Whyte & MacKay, closed a few years later and reopened in 2007. Much of its single malt output is used in blends, but a few casks of single malt would sneak out as indie bottlings to allow us a rare taste of Tamnavulin - but now they've got their very own expression! They initially mature it in American oak barrels before treating them to a finishing period in Sherry casks.

Nose: Chocolate mousse, extra thick double cream with a dusting of brown sugar, stewed apples and blackberries.

Palate: Christmas pudding, chocolate brownies, yellow plum and toffee-coated barley.

Finish: Spiced rum sweetness lingers on the finish.

This limited edition Tomintoul has spent the last 18 months of its 12 year maturation in Olorose Sherry casks which has given it a well rounded, creamy richness whilst staying true to its soft style.

This 14 year old has been bottled at a higher strength to previous Tomintoul releases. This has helped bring out more of the flavour, and the character of the dram. 

Tasting Note 

Nose: Gentle, very subtle. Warm pastries, apple blossom, hints of toffee, citrus, gentle fruit. 

Palate: Vanilla, creamy, more blossom, barley. 

Finish: Good length, spices.

Aged for 15 years in hand-picked oak barrels, this Speyside single malt Scotch whisky was distilled using peated malted barley at Tomintoul Distillery, giving that self-acknowledged 'Peaty Tang' uncommon in its region.

Bottled at a smooth 40% ABV, this release marks something of a follow up from this little beauty, only this edition has a declared age statement.

16 year old Tomintoul described as the gentle dram and that it is indeed. The whisky is a testament to the master distiller Robert Fleming, a fourth generation distiller. An excellent, light floral whisky, and at an absolute steal of a price.

Aged for at least a quarter of a century in ex-bourbon American oak casks, this Speyside single malt is a gentle giant. Floral and fruity with a touch of spice

A sherried single malt from Tomintoul, specially designed to be paired with cigars! A no-age-statement Speysider, which has been matured in Oloroso sherry casks, sourced from Andalucia. We reckon it'll taste just as good on its own, with all of its chocolate and bramble fruit notes.

Nose: Maple loaf cake, cinnamon and a whiff of smoke, with spiced raisin cookies.

Palate: Another wave of smoke followed by peppery oak, blackberry jam and chocolate spread on toast.

Finish: Buttery oak and roasted coffee bean.

Tomintoul have marked the fiftieth anniversary of spirit flowing from its stills with this stunning release composed of whiskies from each decade. Casks were chosen from 1965, 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2005 by Master Distiller, Robert Fleming, producing 5,230 individually numbered bottles.

Tomintoul ?With A Peaty Tang? has been made with peated malt barley to give it a deep smoky flavour. This makes ?Peaty Tang? very unusual, most distilleries in the Speyside region do not use peat.

The folks at Tomintoul have raided the warehouse and unearthed a stunning 45 year old expression! This single malt was distilled back in April 1973 and initially aged in a bourbon barrel before being moved over to an Oloroso sherry hogshead to continue maturing. It was bottled in September 2018 with an outturn of just 240 bottles.

Nose: Clean Sherry influence on a sweet malty layer. Intense waxy aromas merge with hints of orange citrus and Christmas pudding.

Palate: Richly mouth-filling as notes of nuts, chocolate, mocha coffee bean and spicy oak tannins vie for supremacy.

Finish: Dry and spicy with a rich and enduring final?.

The Glen Elgin 18 YO Special Release 2017 is a limited release of 5352 bottles. This is a special release in an unusual way - this is something of a yeast experiment. For this whisky the distillery used both the conventional cerevisiae yeast and the more unusual (in the whisky world) pombe yeast . Pombe is Swahili for beer, and this is a yeast known from East Africa.

The Glen Elgin 18 YO Special Release 2017 is a vatting of two batches. One part made using the pombe yeast and matured in ex-bodega sherry casks. The other part made using standard yeast and matured in refill European oak butts.

Nose: A deep and rich fruitiness is the first that greets my nose. It seems almost Japanese in style. Complex and clean. Apples, green and fresh on one hand and ripe and baked on the other. Freshly baked gourmet bread with a butter and floral honey spread.

Taste: Creamy, rich and most certainly full-bodied. A bit off-kilter but in a charming way. It could very well be the yeast used that has me confused and amused. Still very fruity, but not just apples now, I also get ripe banana and hints of honey melon and bitter oranges. Dry-ish.

Finish: Medium to long finish. Still fruity - which is not surprising. Creamy and rich all the way.

Glen Moray Fired Oak was aged for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks before it was finished in heavily charred American oak to mirror the production of bourbon (by law bourbon must be aged in charred virgin oak).

Nose: Oak char, vanilla sweetness and dark fruits lead among dried grass, toffee and milk chocolate.

Palate: Through banoffee pie, tangy citrus and butterscotch candies there are notes of golden barley, oaky vanilla and freshly picked red berries.

Finish: Well balanced and sweet.

A 21 year old blended malt from the MacNair's Lum Reek range, produced by the GlenAllachie Distillers Company. Built around a blend created by Billy Walker of peated Islay and Speyside whiskies, alongside with GlenAllachie single malt, this expression packs a satisfying peaty punch. It features whisky drawn from a combination of Oloroso, virgin oak and red wine casks.

Nose: Matured oak and cigar box, with a good whiff of woody smoke gliding through.

Palate: Cedar spices, milk chocolate, apricot, earthy peat, black pepper and a hint of charcoal.

Finish: Thyme honey, bonfire embers, dark chocolate tart.

The Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve is made exclusively with whisky which has matured in ex-bourbon casks. Load of classic vanilla and honey notes all the way through. The whisky is certified Kosher.

Nose: Freshly baked bread with butter, almonds and coconut, a little white chocolate.

Palate: White pepper, cinnamon, a little blackberry. Whole vanilla pods in honey.

Finish: Lingering charred bourbon oak and orange oil.