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)