Tomintoul 16 Year Old

I was suppose to taste these whiskies as part of a virtual tasting lead by Tomintoul Master Distiller Robert Fleming, but I suppose I missed something when I signed up for the tasting, because I don't think I would have registered knowing it was happening at 11am on a Tuesday. I'm dedicated, but not that dedicated. What follows then is my impressions of these whiskies.

The bottle reads "Tomintoul Speyside Glenlivet" which may lead to some confusion. As far as I know there is no corporate marriage between Tomintoul and Glenlivet. There is a history of other Speyside distilleries using a hyphenated "Glenlivet" name but the legal details aren't really that interesting to me. According to Tomintoul's website this is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks, something that's far too rare these days in my humble opinion.

• Nose (undiluted): a bit shy at first, honey, green apples, some banana, pears
• Palate: richer than I expected, a bit creamy (if only it were bottled at a higher abv ! ), nutty (hazelnuts), vanilla, toffee, more pears
• Finish: medium length, malty, a touch of citrus zest (lemons and oranges), a bit of vanilla custard lingers
• Thoughts: If I'm drinking unpeated whisky, this type of dram is right in my wheelhouse. The distillate character is present, the whisky is gentle (a little too gentle at 40% abv) yet it isn't invisible.

Find where to buy Tomintoul whisky