Tomintoul 2010 Hidden Spirits 14 yo

 

 

 

52,2°

Distillery : Tomintoul - Speyside

Sherry Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By Hidden Spirits 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This is the 4th bottling of Tomintoul made by Hidden Spirits, an Italian house inaugurated in 2013, and it's also the oldest. Like two of the other three, it is aged in Sherry casks. The number of bottles produced is unknown.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A pinch of salt, some meaty and leafy notes, it's airy, iodised, fresh. Moist leather. Behind, light and pleasant white fruits, grapes, plums, peaches, pears. Dried fruit too, dates, apricots, figs. It's quite mellow, and even indulgent. On the palate, the fruit becomes stewed, with a touch of liquorice, freshly cut wood, resin, and a few spices that carry through to the finish, pepper, cloves. Finally, it becomes pastry-like, with filled cakes, génoise, vanilla icing and hazelnut shavings.

 

In Short, 

I see here and there that the critics are not very enthusiastic about this one, which seems a bit unfair to me, I found it very good, I like the salty character on the first nose, which evolves into a more classic Speyside, full of dried fruit and sweetness. That said, I have to admit that the price is high for what it is. Fans of the profile can wait for a promotion.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Widespread Panic - Trashy

Tomintoul 2011 Hidden Spirits Highproof Version 11 yo

 

 

 

52,3°

Distillery : Tomintoul - Speyside

Refill Sherry Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By Hidden Spirits 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Tomintoul is a distillery that Hidden Spirits has been working with quite a bit, this one being their 4th bottling. This raises questions, as this recent distillery is rather discreet, since most of its production feeds White & MacKay Blend. Could it have hidden qualities? Let's find out with this 11-year-old bottling, aged in a Refill Sherry single cask, which produced 271 bottles.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Cream and wheat, enamelled with honey. Candied vanilla, rye and almond paste, a touch of limestone. Frosted lemon. Gingerbread and woodwax. Walnut and pistachio, just like baklava. Encaustic. On the palate, the spices kick in straight away, coated in honey, cloves, cumin and turmeric. A touch of bitterness and woodiness. Long finish, full of character, fir honey, dry earth, pine needles, nutmeg, resin, grapefruit. Apple peel and chestnuts.

 

In Short, 

I really liked the nose, which I found complex, full of honey and cereals, original and very pleasant. Afterwards, it was good without being crazy either, there was a little bitter touch that wandered around, perhaps the wood that played a little too much of its influence. All in all, though, it's still a very interesting whisky that helps us discover this distillery better. The price is very acceptable if you look hard enough.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Katrine Ford - Killing It

Old Ballantruan 15 yo

 

 

 

50°

Distillery : Tomintoul - Speyside 

Ex-Bourbon Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range

Single Malt 

Launched in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 55 ppm

 

 

 

Every year, the people of Tomintoul devote themselves to the production of peated whisky for two weeks, and this is what it gives, in the NAS version, 10 years of age, or 15 years of age. Its name comes from the Ballantruan source, which supplies the distillery with water.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Nice herbaceous peat, a bit dry, light vanilla and lemon, whitewash and brown earth, it's quite full-bodied but not very complex. Lychee, coconut and banana by digging deep, a cloud of milk, but in fact it remains very vegetal. On the palate, it's more citrusy, still mossy peat, grapefruit, fairly light spices. Clove, nutmeg, white pepper. Forest berries. Proper finish, but less powerful than expected, earthy charcoal, potatoes and turnips, raisins. Cola. Wood a bit charred.

 

In Short,   

It's not bad, but I'm not thrilled either. It has several qualities, but it lacks character. It would have needed a more complex maturation perhaps. Also, the whisky doesn't seem so aged, nor so peaty. Price vary greatly depending on the country, but it's still expensive for my taste.

Score : 85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Apocalypse Orchestrza - The Garden of Earthly Delights