Tomintoul 19 Year (1976), SMWS 89.5
Whisky: Tomintoul 19 Year (1976), SMWS 89.5
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 58.8%
Cask: Oak
Age: 19 Years (Distilled Oct. 1976, Bottled June 1996)
Nose: Woody, fruity, subtle coastal brine, citrus, white flowers, chalk birch; elegant and soft.
Palate: Medium-bodied, oily, eventually waxy and creamy, vanilla, cola, lemony citrus, minerals, subtle brine, white pepper.
Finish: Long and woody with stone fruit pits, citrus rind, white pepper, and subtle honey suckle or white flowers.
Score: 8 (87)
Mental Image: Lemonades and Picnic Tables
Narrative & Notes: A museum of maritime artifacts lay before me with antique wood, ivory, hessian, and soft coastal brine. Fruitier elements sat further in, and packed in straw: Korean pears, Sac Sac grape drink, and citrusy lemon. Almost effervescent with chalk, white flowers, and birch providing a clean, woody elegance. Medium-bodied and oily, the flavor profile was fruity and rich with vanilla cream soda and hints of cola opening into fresh lemonade with a big charred, crushed lemon in it. The flavors were sharp, with plenty of mineral salts and oily waxy citrus rinds popping with some white pepper funk at the end. The finish was long and woody with stone fruit pits, citrus rind, white pepper, and subtle honey suckle or white flowers.
The aroma was mellow and soft, but the palate was loaded with bright fruits, minerals, and wood— a fantastic journey through a coherent and well-integrated set of flavors and spirit. Shockingly, this is only the second Tomintoul I have ever reviewed, so I really do not have much to compare it with (the only other bottle was a much younger, recent release from SMWS). I enjoyed the evolution of the flavors and the gradual build up of waxy, creamy elements on the palate.
Overall, this won a lot of acclaim during our local tasting and, if I recall correctly, it was the unanimous choice for best of the evening— beating out the rest of the old SMWS bottles we poured.
