Ah, Tomintoul, what a lovely place to visit. The village is just enchanting. Officially a good few miles into the Cairngorms, it nevertheless feels like a gateway into the National Park.
And it has a distillery, too! Have never been though. Had an appointment years ago, but that was cancelled last minute. Some day! For now, I’ll gladly make do with the Tomintoul Tawny Port Cask Finish.
Well, I say gladly, but ex-port casks aren’t my first choice of maturation vessel. Like with ex-red wine casks, there’s a possibility that the whisky ends up sticky. Too sweet. Wine-y. And that’s something I generally do not take too kindly.
Finally, I don’t often comment on colour, but I’ve never seen a whisky as pink-ish (purple almost) as the Tomintoul Tawny Port Cask Finish. It’s baffling and I’m not sure how good of a sign this is. The label doesn’t specifically mention this whisky was bottled at natural colour. Then again, not sure they would’ve given it this pink hue on purpose.
Tomintoul Tawny Port Cask Finish (40%, OB, 2022)
Nose: Hints of Chambord liqueur, strawberries and Cherry Heering alongside some liqueur-filled chocolate bonbons. There’s not much depth to it. Mainly sweet, sugary fruits and a few gentle spices.
Taste: There’s nothing subtle about the Tomintoul Tawny Port Cask Finish. The palate displays a similar fruitiness and sweetness. Sticky at times, with a few hints sweetened filter coffee, marzipan and cloves.
Finish: One of the shorter finishes I’ve experienced in a while. More of the above with a slight mentholated touch.
Sample provided by De Monnik Dranken
