A little trio of official Tomintoul


February 16, 2026

A little trio of official Tomintoul

No fuss here, remember that Tomintoul is ‘the gentle dram’. In fact, the first time I went wild camping not far from Tomintoul, out in the heather – and more years ago than you could possibly count – I mainly made the acquaintance of the midges. But why am I telling you this? Come on then, a little aperitif to help forget that rather stinging memory…

(A very good Rosé des Riceys by the house Boizel in Epernay)

Tomintoul ‘Tawny Port Cask Finish’ (40%, OB, Small Batch, +/-2022)

We have already tasted quite a few Tomintouls without an age statement and finished in all manner of assorted wines. Amarone, for example, or merlot, or pinot noir, or tempranillo… We have always had a good laugh, so let us hope it will be the same today. Colour: raspberry jelly. Nose: just as the colour suggested, it is crammed with red fruits and rather evokes a still Champagne rosé, something akin to a rosé des Riceys with its little touches of leather and tobacco and a hint of faded rose. And raspberry, naturally. Frankly, this little ready-made cocktail is rather pleasant on the nose… Mouth: certainly maltier and it is here that one realises the superiority of fortified wines over table wines when it comes to finishing. Notes of cherry-stalk infusion, a little earthy tobacco, and even fresh button mushrooms and pepper. Finish: fairly short and drier, on unsweetened black tea. Comments: perhaps my favourite of the lot. It is in fact much less driven by red fruits than I had expected.
SGP:450 - 79 points.

Tomintoul ‘White Port Cask Finish’ (40%, OB, Small Batch, +/-2022)

You are quite right, I perhaps ought to have started with this one, but over here we say, “red on white, everything goes to blight, white on red, nothing moves ahead”. Naturally, in globish, the good rhyme is lost. Colour: white wine. Seriously. Nose: very aromatic indeed, on banana and pear, and even pineapple. Has some well-meaning soul slipped in a drop of amyl acetate? And a spoonful of white chocolate cream while they were at it… Yet here again, it is rather good. Orange wafers. Mouth: I prefer this baby to its red companion, it feels closer on the palate to a light but ‘proper’ malt, with the wafers returning alongside fruit skins, especially peach. A faint touch of Fanta Lemon. Finish: rather short, on yellow fruit smoothies, with green tea in the aftertaste, gently drying the whole. Comments: frankly, I quite like it. And it confirms our famous proverb mentioned above.
SGP:551 - 80 points.

Tomintoul 14 yo 2011/2025 (63.5%, OB for SG60, bourbon barrel, cask #3482, 247 bottles)

An official bottling to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of Singapore, done under the guidance of several prestigious bars, including the Quaich Bar and The Auld Alliance. All should therefore go splendidly, even if one does wonder, given that new make is generally run into cask at 63.5%, how not even a tenth of a degree has been lost over 14 years. Nor gained, for that matter, as that can happen too. Colour: straw. Nose: it is a little hot, even slightly fierce, yet we detect dandelion, hay, fresh malt and overripe apple. All this bodes pretty well, let us see… With water: yellow cherry, gooseberry, acacia honey, zucchini flowers… and always that dandelion, along with other yellow flowers. It is floral! Mouth (neat): strictly between us, I might not have kept the mention ‘The Gentle Dram’ upon this label, for it is very lively, sharp, rather lemony and packed with small green fruits. Apples included, naturally. Water should tame all this… With water: homemade apple juice, orange blossom water, light peppermint… It has not exactly become meek as a lamb, but there is now a very pretty multifloral honey. Finish: long, fairly brisk, more lemony. The apple returns with a vengeance. Comments: obviously very good and, above all, very ‘natural’.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

Check the index of all Tomintoul we've tasted