Showing posts with label Tomintoul Peaty Tang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tomintoul Peaty Tang. Show all posts

Glentauchers 1991 (Gordon & MacPhail) Review - Glentauchers 1996 17 Years (Douglas Laing) Review - Glenlossie 1992 20 Years (Whisky Mercenary) Review - Tomintoul Peaty Tang Review


“Speyside Special # 2”

Introduction:

Most of you know that I mainly use samples and miniatures when preparing my Reviews. I usually buy these in Holland and sometimes in Germany or the UK. Sometimes I receive samples from friends or readers or independent bottlers. In only two cases I received a few samples directly from distilleries. When planning my reviews for the coming months I always try to give attention to all Scottish Whisky regions as well as other Whisky/Whiskey/Bourbon producing regions all over the world with special attention to the USA, Ireland and Japan. And last but not least the blends. At the request of many readers I give preference to more recent expressions. As a result my backlog of older samples has increased quite a bit. To do justice to those samples I will review them in the format of Specials. These specials will deal with a specific region like today or with specific bottlers, countries or distilleries. The reviews in these Specials will concentrate on the Whisky and won't go into details about distilleries, maturation etc. I do hope you will like these Specials just as much as my regular reviews and I look forward to your reactions and suggestions. In this special I will review four lesser known Speyside Single Malts. Enjoy!
================================================



Whisky Review # 732

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glentauchers 1991
Bottled by: Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin - Bottled in 2007
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age:  16 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Mostly Refill Ex-Bourbon casks. A bit of Sherry Wood perhaps.
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 40-50  (May 2018)
Buying Advice: 😐 Not really bad but utterly forgettable.

Colour:

Yellow Gold (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Sweet, Thin, Floral, Grassy, Yeasty and slightly Herbal. A touch of Peat/Smoke.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Toffee, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Dried Fruit like Raisin, Banana and Pineapple, Yeast, Grass, Orange Peel and Cinnamon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Floral Perfume, Melon, Lemon, Gooseberry, White Wine, Wet Leaves, Refill Oak, Apple and Peat/Smoke.


Palate:

Light, Sweet, Slightly Thin, Floral, Fruity, Yeasty and Herbal. The Palate follows the Nose.

Main Flavours

Toasted Cereals, Toffee, Caramel, Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Grass, Straw, Orange Peel, Apple, Dried Fruit, Walnuts, Pepper, Cinnamon and Refill Oak.   

Supportive Flavour Accents

Floral Soap, Peach, Melon, Lemon, Red Grapes, Gooseberry, Bounty Candy Bars, Nutmeg, Ginger and Aniseed.

Finish:

Middle-Long and slightly Thin. Sweet at first but increasingly Bitter towards the Dry end. I find Toasted Cereals, Toffee, Vanilla, Green Apple, Orange Zest, Grapefruit, Lemon, Nuts, Dried Herbs, Grass, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Ashes, Refill Oak and Dirty Earth. A light Metallic off-note.

Drinking Advice:

This Glentauchers does not improve with added Water. More Metal in the Finish. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 80

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20

Drinking Experience:

Okay.

Conclusion:

The Glentauchers distillery was founded in 1897 and is located in Mulben near Keith. Since 2005 it is owned by Chivas Regal (Pernod Ricard). In 2017 a 15 Years Old Single Cask Edition was launched. But almost all Spirit is used for the Chivas Regal and Ballantine's Blends. And for the occasional Indie expressions of course. The Gordon & MacPhail bottling I am tasting today was distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2007.

The 16 Year Old Glentauchers 1991 by Gordon & MacPhail is not a bad Single Malt but it doesn't offer any excitement. A higher ABV and a little more Sherry Wood contact might have lifted it up a bit. As it stands, it's utterly forgettable. I can see why this Spirit is mostly used in Blends. Based on this expression I find it not interesting enough to consider as a sipping Single Malt. Let's see if the Douglas Laing expression can change my mind!


=================================================


Whisky Review # 733

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glentauchers 1996
Bottled By: Douglas Laing (Old Particular Series) - Bottled 2013
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Cask # DL10064 - 288 Bottles
Age: 17 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46.6% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 90-100 (May 2018). - Discontinued
Buying Advice: 😀 Light, Fresh & Clean. Summer Whisky!   

Colour:

Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Quite Light and Clean. Based on Colour and Nose it's safe to assume that there has been little interaction between Spirit and Wood in the seventeen years of maturation. The Nose is Sweet and kind of Buttery. Some Floral and Herbal elements as well.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Toffee, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Yeast, Grass, Orange and Lemon Juice, Apple, Pear, Cinnamon and Refill Oak.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Meadow Flowers, Dried Herbs, Butterscotch, Pineapple, Caffe Latte, Walnuts, Pepper and Ginger.


Palate:

Good delivery. Adequate ABV. The Wood is more noticeable at this point. Sweet, Fruity, Floral and Herbal.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Butter Biscuits, Demerara Sugar, Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mint, Pepper, Aniseed, Vanilla and Dried Herbs.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Grass, Cinnamon, Menthol, Caffe Latte and Cocoa Powder.

Finish:

Middle-Long. Sweet at first but with a few Bitter, Sour and Tannic notes towards the Medium-Dry end. I find Toasted Cereals, Toffee, Vanilla, Caramel, Walnuts, Caffe Latte, Dried Herbs, Lemon, Grapefruit, Apple, Refill Oak, Grass, Pepper, Ginger, Mint and Aniseed.

Drinking Advice:

Due to the small size of the Sample I only enjoyed this Glentauchers Neat. I don't think it needs added Water.

Rating: 83 

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5  - Overall: 20.5 

Drinking Experience:

Good 

Conclusion:

I like this Glentauchers expression better. It's Light and Clean and does not present any off-notes. It's a natural aperitif Single Malt in the style of Glen Grant. It's also quite consistent and well-balanced from Nose to Finish. The ABV is spot on. It can't be cheap of course after 17 years in the cask. The only minor  observation would be indeed about the cask. A quite introvert piece of wood if you ask me! A few bottles of this Single Cask Malt might still be available on the Internet. Better hurry though if you like the Aroma/Flavour profile! 


=================================================



Whisky Review # 734

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glenlossie 1992
Bottled By: The Whisky Mercenary (Jurgen Vromans)
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Bottled in 2012 - 144 bottles
Age: 20 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 57% (Cask Strength)
Maturation:Refill Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 90 (May 2018).
Buying Advice: 😀 Interesting Malt. The 10 Years F&F has the better P/Q ratio.

Colour:

Chardonnay (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Light for a 20 Year Old. The Refill Oak is noticeable. Sweet, Sour & Musty notes alternate each other. Quite Floral, Grassy, Waxy and Green.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Coconut, Grass, Straw, Coconut, Refill Oak, Mint, Green Apple, Pear and Lemon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Floral Soap, Heather Honey, Pineapple, Gooseberries, White Wine, Dusty Road, Dairy, Pepper, Cloves and Ginger.


Palate:

Strong, slightly Hot Delivery. On the Palate, this Glenlossie is Fruity and Sweet with a few Bitter and Sour notes for balance. It's the best part of this Single Malt in my opinion.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Vanilla, Grass, Straw, Nectarine, Apple, Grapefruit Juice, Lemon, Orange Zest, Refill Oak, Pepper, Ginger and Menthol.   

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Pineapple, Coconut, White Grapes, Plum Jam, Aniseed and Herbal Tea.     

Finish:

Middle-Long, slightly Hot and Bitter-Sweet. Dry towards the end. The Oak and Spices take control. A bit of a Rubber/PVC Pipe off-note. I find Toasted Cereals, Refill Oak, Vanilla, Grass, Straw, Apple, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol, Citrus and Aniseed.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and more (Exotic) Fruit develops on the Nose and on the Palate. Especially Papaya. If you like your whisky a little less Edgy and more Friendly, please add a few drops. I liked it both ways.

Rating: 82.5   

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5  - Overall: 20.5   

Drinking Experience:

Good

Conclusion:

The Glenlossie Distillery is located in Birnie close to Elgin. It was founded in 1876 and belongs to the Diageo Group. Most of the annual output of 2 million litres is destined for Blends like Haig and Dimple. The only official Single Malt is the 10 Year old.

This 20 Year old Glenlossie follows the 10 Year Old Flora & Fauna Official Bottling that I reviewed earlier. But the extra 10 years in the cask naturally increase the influence of Wood and Wood Spices. It's a pity that most Glenlossie Spirit is destined for the Blended Whisky market. It's sufficiently interesting as a Single Malt, especially on the Palate. A 20 Year old Single Malt can't be cheap of course so if you like the Aroma/Flavour profile of this Glenlossie you might consider having a go at the 10 Year Flora & Fauna before trying out other expressions. So far I'm pleasantly surprised by the Glenlossie Malts. They deserve a bit more attention!

=================================================


Whisky Review # 735

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Tomintoul "With a Peaty Tang" (Around 55 ppm)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 35-45 (May 2018).
Buying Advice: 😒 Not my style. Give it a try if you like very young Islay!

Colour:

Pale Gold/Chardonnay (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Young, a little Thin and Sweet. The New Make Spirit is still noticeable. Quite a bit of Smoke with a few Fruity, Floral and Medicinal Aromas.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Burnt Toast, Yeast, Dough, Cold Smoke, Ashes, Straw, Iodine, Dirty Earth, Caramel, Green Apple, Raw Fish and Meat and Dried Herbs.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Pear, Banana, Floral Soap, Burnt Plants, Refill Oak, Cardboard, Nutshells, Pine, Dusty Shelves, Cappuccino and PVC Pipes.


Palate:

Young, Thin and Hot. Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Cold Smoke, Dirty Earth, Ashes, Tar, Iodine, Toasted Refill Oak, Caramel, Dried Herbs, Green Apple, Lemon, Smoked Meat, Pepper, Ginger and Cocoa Powder.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Salted Nuts, Pear, PVC Pipes, Iron, Floral Soap, Aniseed, Licorice and Artificially Flavoured Candies.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and quite Hot. A few Sour and Salty notes as well towards the Dry end. I find Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Cold Smoke, Dry Earth, Straw, Burnt Grass, Ashes, Wet Newspaper, Toasted Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Iodine, Lemon, Plastic, Iron, Licorice, Stale Espresso, Raw Fish and Meat, Grapefruit, Green Apple and Artificially Flavoured Candies.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water totally kills this Single Malt.

Rating: 78

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 19.5

Drinking Experience:

Okay. Too Young and Too Hot.

Conclusion:

Tomintoul is a relatively young distillery that was founded in 1965. It is located in Ballindalloch and is owned since 2000 by Angus Dundee Distillers. Substantial quantities of the Tomintoul Spirit are used in Blends like Dundee, Big Ben and Scottish Royal. The "With a Peaty Tang" was released in 2008 and forms the peated output of Tomintoul alongside Old Ballantruan.

This Tomintoul is a close imitation of a very young Islay. Ardbeg comes to mind. As most of you will know I love well matured Islay Malts but I'm not very keen on these very young peated malts. It's almost like drinking peated Barley Water or Wash. I also get too many off-notes like Plastic, Metal and Burnt Plants. If you like this kind of Whisky you should certainly give this Tomintoul a chance as an alternative to young Islay Malts. But personally I won't come near the Peaty Tang anytime soon. Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      May 28, 2018