Tomintoul 16 Year

What happens when a 'blend filler' distillery starts to bottle single malts? Right, they get a problem with the caliber of their casks (mainly refill ex-bourbon). Luckily, Tomintoul 16 is more sherry-influenced than its 10-year-old brother. On the nose, you get dark fruits with hints of walnuts and marzipan, heather honey and very distant peatiness. The taste is light and sweet with grainy citrus, cornflakes and some crisp oak. Vanilla, spices and mild tannins accompany the modest finish. An easy sipper that appears younger than the age statement suggests. RATING: 3.2/5.0 stars ≙ 81 pts → AVERAGE [+]

Nose: Hazelnuts, powdered malt extract, an aroma uncannily like almond Danish pastry. Running in parallel are fruity notes of stewed apples and orange peel. There's also some vanilla, oak and a tiny whiff of peat smoke. [The dry-glass aroma is entirely oak - everything else just floats away]. Palate: Honey-sweet and luscious, mouth-coating and creamy. Vanilla whipped cream, malted milk, hazelnuts, almonds. A very soft and gentle arrival and development without any trace of peat, spice or heat. Finish: Medium, slightly dry with malty-oak flavours fading into the distance. Tomintoul 16 is a pleasant and laid back whisky with a soft, smooth profile. The nose is very feel-good in a relaxed lazy Sunday morning sort of way. Don't add water - it is completely unnecessary and kills the velvety texture. It's not a bad whisky at all and the price is not steep for a 16 year old expression, but when the experience is this easy you had better be specifically wanting "smooth" above all else. While I enjoyed the bottle I had I don’t feel the urge to acquire another or keep it on hand as a regular thing. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

A solid whisky and one I found truly pleasing. While the nose was quite shy and subdued, the palate confidently displayed notes of honey, roasted barley and a touch of hazelnut. And while the finish was unfortunately short, I can still say I enjoyed this dram. At the right price, I'd put my money on a bottle.