Next up is this Tomintoul 15 by Dràm Mòr. I do not think I have ever tasted a Tomintoul, at least not as I can remember, so I do not know what to expect from this whisky. It has a pale lemon colour, spent 15 years in a refill sherry butt, then four months in a first-fill sauternes barrique and yielded a total of 317 bottles.
Nose
The nose on this whisky is very light. The first note I am finding is grains, followed by a bitter, yet not unpleasant, woodiness from the oak. Then fresh-cut grass, something resembling smoke, possibly burnt toast, orchard fruits – mainly apples with a few pears added to the bucket, dry apple cider, peaches, lots and lots of fresh peaches, vanilla, a sprinkle of cane sugar topped with a vague note of oil, maybe wood polish?
Palate
What a spicy bugger! I am getting pepper and a sprinkle of chilli, instantly embracing me with a warming hug. Followed by the slight bitterness from the wood, some caramel, again the grains, apples, a slightly salty note I do not recognise as anything particular. The Tomintoul 15 is not a fruity whisky, at least not to me, and I feel like it is singing an ode to wood and cask instead, which makes it stand out a bit from what I am used to.
Finish
It has a medium finish and is mouth-coating. The warming sensation lingers for a while. It leaves my mouth and lips feeling a little sticky and dry – making me think of fresh sap. I am getting the tiniest hint of green apples, the woody bitterness from the oak cask, and peaches – both fresh, and in the form of gummy sweets.
As I already mentioned, I have not tasted any Tomintoul from before. At first, I felt a little underwhelmed. It was light, rather difficult to get acquainted with, borderline boring. As I am writing these words, I am looking at the nearly empty glass, smirking to myself – the Tomintoul 15 took a u-turn on me, and turns out to be way too easy to drink!
I hereby dub it an honest and uncomplicated dram and is not to be overlooked.
Cask # 32
Refill sherry butt and first-fill sauternes barrique
ABV: 56.1 %
Country: Scotland
Dràm Mòr Group Ltd. are family Scotch single cask whisky bottlers, choosing individual casks to showcase the best of every Scottish whisky, originating from the once highly influential town of Dumbarton, which rests in the shadow of its iconic Rock, Dumbarton’s medieval Castle, an ancient capital of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, and which boasts such whisky legacy as Ballantine’s and is home to Pernod Ricard’s Chivas.
A huge thanks to Dràm Mòr for kindly sending me this sample.
Tasting notes and opinions about this release are strictly my own.
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