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| Hello, that is one in all our (virtually) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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April 23, 2025
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Wine and single malt whisky from Tomintoul
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With sure malt manufacturers, we who got here to single malts from the world of wine now discover ourselves on one thing of a backwards journey, as these manufacturers are merely main us… again into the world of wine. Tomintoul is an efficient instance: a lot of their latest releases have been completed in wine casks of all types and from varied origins. The names of those wines, the truth is, now seem on the labels instead of age statements. Ought to we remorse this shift? Not essentially.
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On the one hand, it appears the Scots have improved their ending strategies—no less than, that’s the way it appears to us—and however, one has to have a little bit of enjoyable with all of it… I do marvel, although, whether or not younger malt fans, after tasting, say, a Tomintoul ‘Tempranillo’, will go on to take an curiosity in that nice Spanish grape and even perhaps purchase a couple of bottles of wine made thereof.
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Tomintoul ‘Tempranillo Wine Cask End’ (40%, OB, Small Batch, 2024) 
This isn’t offered at a excessive value, roughly €45. Fairly a couple of prestigious Spanish wines comprised of tempranillo, corresponding to sure Riojas or Ribera del Dueros, go for significantly extra, although I doubt these are the kinds of casks used right here. You’ll inform me, why not? Color: white wine. Slightly odd, as tempranillo is often very pink. Nostril: it’s completely filled with redcurrants and cherries, then comes somewhat vanilla and a few apple juice. All in all, it’s recent, gentle, not disagreeable, and never too vinous both. Growing notes of toffee apple and barley sugar comply with on. Mouth: I think these sorts of casks are notoriously troublesome to stability, issues are likely to veer off shortly into bitter natural teas, grape skins, even the stems. However right here it stays reined in, the cherry retains main the dance, with only a few hints of strawberry jam chiming in. Briefly, it’s nonetheless fairly unmistakably ‘tempranillo’. End: brief and light-weight, not unbalanced. Feedback: I discover this higher than final yr’s Pinot Noir model.
SGP:451 – 79 factors. |
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Tomintoul ‘Amarone Wine Cask End’ (40%, OB, Small Batch, 2024)
From Spain we cross over to Italy, although Amarone della Valpolicella isn’t a grape selection like tempranillo, slightly a method of dry pink straw wine, with grapes which were concentrated by drying earlier than urgent. It’s sometimes comprised of corvina and rondinella grapes and enjoys a loyal following, significantly in… Scotland. No names talked about. Color: white wine. As soon as once more, oddly pale. Nostril: extra rustic than the tempranillo, much less daintily fruity, leaning extra in the direction of very ripe plums, blackberries, tobacco and wine cask notes. So, extra vinous total. Mouth: related impressions but it surely fares higher on the palate, regardless that the pink wine presence is slightly robust—one thing you wouldn’t count on simply by trying on the color. Maraschino, hints of pepper, budding vines, cherry clafoutis. End: not very lengthy, however extra on ginger, chlorophyll and a contact of pink pepper. Feedback: not unhealthy, this little ‘winesky’, although I discovered the tempranillo to be slightly higher balanced.
SGP:461 – 78 factors. |
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Tomintoul ‘Merlot Wine Cask End’ (40%, OB, Small Batch, +/-2022)
Merlot’s grown nearly in all places today, however this one hails from Bordeaux. You’ll say it’s discovered throughout Bordeaux too, not solely in Pétrus, and I feel it’s even the primary grape there, forward of the cabernets. Color: white wine. Identical remark as earlier than. Nostril: it’s slightly enjoyable to identify the variations amongst these main pink grapes, and right here we do certainly get cherry, but in addition some damson jam and some violet touches, alongside a whiff of floral fragrance (jasmine, almond blossom). A wee trace of stalks and leaves as nicely. Mouth: it’s drier, much less candy, extra peppery, much less fruity, extra natural, and never as instantly charming, although there’s some fig tucked away. End: lengthy and pretty natural certainly, although the aftertaste is softer, with notes of marzipan. Feedback: one wonders whether or not the grapes have been destemmed or not. Additionally, it might have been good to know the classic. A disgrace it couldn’t be 2022, such a wonderful yr!
SGP:461 – 77 factors. |
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Tomintoul ‘Seiridh’ (40%, OB, Restricted Version, fist fill oloroso sherry cask end, 6,000 bottles, 2022) 
A restricted version bottled at 40% vol., which is a bit daring, although with oloroso, we’re on acquainted floor. Color: gold. Nostril: reassuring stuff, calm and composed, with walnut cake and currants, adopted by dates, a couple of touches of Easter chocolate (why Easter?) and even a Mars bar. Mouth: sure, this works, not as gentle as one would possibly count on, properly balanced, very a lot ‘dry sherry’, and unmistakably oloroso. Caramelised pecans—a killer—and a beautiful drier type of honey. End: not very lengthy as soon as once more, however with a wonderful notice of black tea. English breakfast tea slightly than Scottish breakfast whisky, ha. Feedback: I feel that is very well achieved. At 45/46%, it might positively sing.
SGP:551 – 82 factors. |
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Let’s flip to bourbon for a change…
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Tomintoul ‘Tundra’ (40%, OB, bourbon, 1l, +/-2020)
By no means tried this little beast earlier than, bottled—judging by the title—previous to the tragic occasions in Ukraine. You’ll say there’s tundra up north throughout all continents, be it America, Europe or Asia. Truthful sufficient, let’s see if we are able to sniff out any moss or lichen… Color: pale gold. Nostril: no moss to report, slightly pear, pineapple, vanilla and grist, plus a basket of this morning’s croissants. Mouth: this one totally lives as much as Tomintoul’s slogan, ‘The Light Dram’. Scones and muffins, Earl Gray, barley, somewhat inexperienced tea, then a reprise of properly ripe pear and apple. It whispers greater than it shouts, but it surely’s charming. End: brief however comfortable and recent, with none misstep, save for a faint dusty notice within the aftertaste. Feedback: very sincere and constant, no pointless fuss. Yep ‘tundra’ is actually a Russian title, apparently.
SGP:441 – 80 factors. |
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Proper then, let’s attempt to hunt down one thing a bit extra refined, from the indies in fact, after which we’ll name it a day.
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Tomintoul 2010/2024 (58.2%, Malts of Scotland, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 24023, 243 bottles) 
We’ve acquired a slightly good feeling about this one… Color: full gold. Nostril: begins off like a campfire the place marshmallows are toasting, then strikes towards fig tree and even a little bit of tomato bush, earlier than entering into all types of roots—perhaps even some moss and lichen, ha. The fruits are enjoying onerous to get at first, it appears, although we’ve acquired our secret weapon… With water: sure, cassata and a fruit salad of pale and yellow orchard fruits. Mouth (neat): increase, an orchard avalanche—plums of each type, apples, pears, peaches, apricots… No worries, I shan’t record all of them. A leafy contact helps rein it in only a bit. With water: right here comes melon, quince, prickly pear, jujube… End: lengthy and delicate, on a fruity Wulong tea. Feedback: a really wonderful instance of a malt that actually deserves a couple of drops of H2O.
SGP:551 – 87 factors. |
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