Rating: 15/23 Before jumping in, I'd like to call out that my bottle is 40% ABV, whereas Distiller lists this at 43% and that is definitely not a mistake because the bottle in the picture Distiller has is also 43%. I could look into this and probably confirm that in 201X Tomintoul dropped the ABV and probably also the quality, but I'm just going to assume that they dropped the ABV and judge the quality based on the merits of what's in this bottle. N: This does show some nice age. I would guess that it was 15 to 18 years old. It smells smooth and a bit creamy with some subdued wood that nonetheless has a fullness to it. I get hints of vanilla and some light almond, along with that classic Tomintoul cereal of course and perhaps a whiff of tart orange and some peaches bordering on that Irish apricot flavor.. It smells like something I'd enjoy drinking, but it doesn't smell amazing. It's fairly complex and light without any problems, but also fairly dull. P: This is very smooth but it still has some nice spice to it - cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and clove. There's a nice creaminess and then the cereal reaches up to give you a big, soft hug. The fullness is there, though the richness is not. The wood shows itself with this malty fullness and creamy smoothness. There are hints of pecan and almond that are quite nice. I could easily sip this for an extended period seeing as it is quite enjoyable, unlike the Tomintoul 10 and 16. The complexity keeps swirling in this subtle way and that apricot flavor makes an appearance alongside some vanilla, though it's more bitter than I'd expected. This is also a tad harsher than I'd expected somehow. I kind of thought that the smoothness was the whole point of Tomintoul. F: The creamy wood stays with some sawdust coming out, along with the pecan, almond, and (of course) cereal. Some unexpected bitterness does linger, but it's not too bad. It's a totally appropriate finish for this dram. This is leaps and bounds better than Tomintoul 16. But it still isn't great, especially for its age. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much the 9 years improved this over the Tomintoul 16. This is a downright good dram. Good for the money? Absolutely not! Something I would enjoy sipping though? Yeah, Tomintoul meets that bar here. Sadly though, Tomintoul seems to be poor VFM, so I think I will be avoiding it in the future. Dalwhinnie 15 still has a more assertive flavor with more variety than even this Tomintoul, though it is harsher and less balanced. This reminds me most of Càrn Mòr's Glen Grant 26 distilled in 1992. The Càrn Mor is a bit spicier with more vanilla - really, it's a focus on the bourbony side of its character. This is creamier with some more richness, but it's also lower proof. I find it to be a bit of a tough call between these two. I think that this is at least a 15, but could be a 16. A 17 is unlikely. The bitter oiliness is a bit unpleasant, reminding me of the flaws of Sir Edward's 12. Between this and the Glen Grant, I'd lean toward the Glen Grant a hair. I don't think either is good VFM, of course. I think I'll give this a 15, but it could go up to a 16 if I ever happen to have another taste of it (unlikely).