Tomintoul really hasn’t had much coverage on EWB over the years, and I think I know why. It’s the kind of unassuming, makes-no-fuss, doesn’t-blow-its-own-trumpet kind of brand which just goes about its daily business of making consistently tasty whisky. As admirable as that is, in the hubbub of today’s whisky market, it does mean that if you aren’t clamouring for attention, shouting about what you’re doing, and smashing out daily content on social media, you may well get forgotten.
I fear that’s what’s happened to me with Tomintoul, as well as its Angus Dundee stablemate, Glencadam. Solid whisky, widely palatable, and consistently good, but never really rocking the boat. No penis waving, or claiming it’s going to ‘disrupt the market’, or saying it’s doing something to ‘reinvent the category’. Just making good whisky day in day out. I think that’s why I jumped at the chance to taste their new limited edition oloroso sherry cask finish when a press release landed in my inbox a couple of weeks ago.
Tomintoul Seiridh (pronounced ‘sheh-ree’ and gaelic for ‘sherry’) is initially matured in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in first fill oloroso sherry butts. It’s limited to 6,000 individually numbered bottles and available for the very attractive price tag of £32.75. Speaking of the release, Tomintoul’s Master Distiller, Robert Fleming said: “I personally hand-selected the finest Oloroso Sherry butts from an old, family owned bodega in Jerez, Andalucia to expertly finish our wonderful Tomintoul single malt. Tomintoul Seiridh is delightfully smooth and complex, which is heavily influenced by rich Christmas cake and spice flavours.”
Tomintoul Seiridh
Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish
6,000 bottles
40% ABV
£32.75 here
Nose: Honeycomb, sweet flowers, and cherry blossom initially. Then a box of Sunmaid raisins, orange marmalade, Eccles cake, faint Jamaica cake and some dry wood shavings.
Palate: Hot cross buns, Danish pastries, and roasted chestnuts. Quite savoury initially, then a creaminess sets in with some apricot, orange peel, toffee apples, and gentle oak.
Finish: Dried fruit mix, tingling wood spice, and a touch of leather.
Overall: Delicious. I mean really delicious. The oloroso finish doesn’t overwhelm the liquid whatsoever; the core of the whisky remains light and creamy, true to the distillery character, with the sherry dressing sitting nicely on top. I’d like to have seen a bit more depth to the liquid, but that’s likely down to it being bottled at 40% – if it were to be bottled at a non-chill filtered 46% you’d have a different beast, but then you wouldn’t be able to pick up a bottle for a little over £30. It’s fantastic value, and a bottle which (once we’re allowed to socialise in the same room again) should be cracked open with a bunch of friends and the cork thrown out the window. At this price point it also lends itself to being played around with in cocktails; I imagine it’d make a pretty good Rob Roy. Now there’s a thought…
