Tomintoul Peaty Tang

Peaty but incredibly smooth.

Nose has an earthy base that is malty that contains notes of honey, lemon, floral, faint whispers of peat, which leaves impressions of damp leaves, with a slight amount of vanilla. A thin, diluted, soft body that contains honey and iodine and is slightly phenolic. It has a finish that is medium short that lingers in the front. The honey sweetness dissolves to black pepper and leaves the palate ashy and bitter, like smoking a cheap cigar. The addition of water opens more floral and honey tones but mutes the peat however the peat is more pronounced in the mouth. Finish is shorter and more balanced. Preferrable with a splash of water. This is a dram that doesn't know what it wants to be: a young Speysider that is wishing to be an Islay. This is not a bad dram and is priced extremely fair. [84/82/100]. [Revisited: 4/17/15]. [Revisited: 5/23/15; 11/22/17].