Tomintoul
The distillery was founded in 1964. It doubled in capacity when two extra stills were installed in 1974, and it started bottling single malt whisky that year. It produces a range of single malts of different ages, a peated malt, and a vintage malt. The distillery is owned and operated by Angus Dundee Distillers, PLC, of London, England, which also owns and operates the Glencadam distillery.
In 2009 Tomintoul entered the Guinness Book of World Records by producing the largest bottle of whisky in the world, containing 105.3 litres of 14-year-old Tomintoul malt whisky.[1]
In 2010, Royal Wine Corporation became the exclusive importer of Tomintoul products in the United States, making these premium Scotch whiskies more accessible to the American market, especially to those observing kosher dietary laws, as several products from Tomintoul have received kosher certification.
Tomintoul Old Ballantruan 50%
Re- Tasted: Oct 2016 Fresh, intense and quite Islay-like and salty with sweet, heathery peat and subtly tarry and medicinal notes. With time a touch of barley and honey appears.
The palate is slightly smokier and dustier with coffee and wood spice. Lightly medicinal and phenolic peat on the middle. Long and dusty with alcohol enhanced saltiness and lingering sweet peat and barley.
Tomintoul Old Ballantruan 15 year old 50%
Tasted: Jun 2018 An intensely gritty/ earthy peat nose with hints of menthol and coffee. The peat is obviously more dominant than on the Peaty Tang but beneath honey and barley create a pleasant bedrock for the peat. With time the aromas become quite herbal.
The palate opens with the sweet barley, honey and smoky/ herbal peat. The peat builds in intensity and becomes the focal point. Subtle salt and almost medicinal notes appear along with a touch of liquorice, dark honey and citrus. Very salty finish with the menthol notes approaching sinus clearing levels and lingering drier, heathery peat.
Tomintoul 16 year old 40%
Re-Tasted: Aug 2014 Deep, rich, mature, very honeyed aromas of sub-tropical fruit with a touch of dusty oak.. The honey is so deep and gorgeously mature. With time hints of light coffee with herbal flecks appears.
The palate is soft and honeyed with hints of herbal barley and luscious, mature sub-tropical fruit. Like the nose it is deliciously honeyed and deep with a light citrus note adding freshness. Long, lightly coffee'd and beautifully fruity finish.
Tomintoul 'With a Peaty Tang' 15 year old 40%
Tasted: Jun 2018 A lovely full nose with barley, honey and maturing baked fruit. Hints of heathery, Highland peat, cigar leaf, earth, violet and menthol emerge.
The palate shows a touch more vanilla oak and subtler peat notes. Still pleasantly mature with apricot, apple, honey and hints of woody spice. It really is an elegant palate even if the peat becomes a little more forceful towards the middle. Hints of heather, menthol and coffee follow. Long and smoky with a refreshing, almost tart citrus finish and lingering sweet/ earthy smoke.
Tomintoul Old Ballantruan 10 year old 50%
Re-Tasted: Feb 2017 A subtle and oily nose with tarry-peat, barley, rich apricot, menthol and herbal, manurey notes.
The palate is full and coffee'd with hints of natural caramel oak, bunt wood and earthy peat. A little edgy and herbal on the middle. Medium length with the oily peat returning along with a touch of milk chocolate and salt.
Tomintoul ‘Limited Edition 2009’ 14 year old Cognac Cask Finish 46%
Tasted: Dec 2023 A warm, elegant and beautifully balanced nose with aromatic Cognac dried apple, barley, malt and hints of grape infused honey.
The palate opens with some sweet-ish barley, dried grape, apple and baked autumnal fruit. Lovely elegance and subtle, slightly bitter spice on the middle which compliments the soft spirit. Very long with returning Cognac notes, almond, sweet apricot, apple, ginger and lingering spice. That’s an amazing finish!