Nose: Fresh-cut hay and grass, barley sugar, orchard fruits, mild soft citrus, a little vanilla. Initially the nose is crisp and tight but with time it develops an earthy, dusty note. There is a faint honey aroma, but it's earthy as well. After some time a fragrance is noticed that is like flowers that have almost decayed. Palate: Soft but very lightly spiced entry. There is a lot of barley sugar, some butterscotch and the flavour of both ripe and unripe fruits in the development. It's not a particularly complex palate but what is there is pleasant. It reminded me of lightly toasted muesli cereal with nuts and dried fruit. The texture is neutral. Finish: Medium/short. Slightly drying at first, then turning sweeter and tailing out to an aftertaste of breakfast cereal sprinkled with cocoa powder and a little sugar. Tomintoul is typically a very soft and approachable whisky ("the gentle dram" is their slogan) but this 21 year old expression has less of the attractive floral and fresh-fruit character that is found in their younger bottlings. There is greater cask influence here, but it's not the aroma of oak cask - it's more like sawdust and pencil shavings, and to be honest it's a bit dull. It's a whisky that takes a while to wake up but with repeated sips the character does eventually unfold and intensify. It remains, however, particularly shy and quiet. It's very easy drinking but curiously lacklustre. I had hoped the distillery character would be complimented by longer time in a cask, but if anything it feels more like it has passed its prime. To give it its due, it is very well crafted with no intrusive off-notes whatsoever. The 16 year old Tomintoul is, for my palate, the peak of the core range and I'd certainly be more willing to buy a bottle of it than this 21 year old, which at twice the price has very little to recommend it. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. "Above Average" : 81/100 (3 stars)