Antiquary 12 Year

The bottle and label design alone convinced me to purchase this Scotch. The Victorian font and embossed geometric bottle were very appealing. This 12-year-old presents a faint aroma of smoky notes over salted caramel. The scent develops slightly over time, revealing honey, barley, and a light mustiness. When drunk neat, a savory-sweet combination is apparent, complemented by gentle pepper and peat. I appreciate its smooth, medium-bodied texture. The primary flavor fades quickly, leading to a moderately long, drying finish with subtle oak and mixed fruit notes. It's somewhat disappointing, similar to a great song abruptly ending during a dance. This seems like an approachable whisky for those preferring less intense flavors and finishes. I'd consider it an inexpensive, sweet-leaning option for weeknights that improves as you drink it. The bottle is a striking addition to a collection, but I wish it had a cork instead of a twist-top with a plastic pour spout. Have you sampled this attractive bottle? 7/10

I enjoy the standard Tomatin 12 years, so I expected the Antiquary to be good too. It was a slight letdown, and it took me longer than usual to finish the bottle. It has a light and subtly sweet aroma with notes of melted sugar, syrup, and a hint of campfire. It smells lovely and becomes a bit richer after airing for a while. Fruit emerges. However, the disappointment sets in with the first sip. The taste is quite flat, with brown sugar, a bit of toffee, and licorice. There's a metallic hint. But it just doesn't deliver. It lacks depth or layers. A bitter aftertaste with a floral, grainy quality. No, this isn't for me. It's not terrible, but you can get much better for the price.

A tasty little fellow. The Antiquary 12yo is very "grainy" on the nose but the peatiness on the palate delivers a good experience for any whisky drinker. This is a Blended scotch whisky made by Tomatin. Bottled at 40%abv On the nose, grain whisky. Lots of it. Butter Grain whisky aroma; Chocolate brownie and Lemon. On the palate it is very very good. Only four notes but very well done. Vanilla, Coffee, Dulce leche and mild Peat. Delicious. Aftertaste grain whisky returns but the peatiness hangs in there. Butter, vanilla and peat. Overall this is a normal blended scotch, its hints of peat help a lot. 81 over 100.

This is unavailable in my region, so I had it sent from a California source when it was on sale. Fantastic value! It has a dark amber pour. It must contain a significant amount of malts in the blend—it certainly shows some legs. The nose is sweet malt/citrus with a slight hint of peat. These flavors carry through to the palate and linger in a smooth, rich finish. I like this better than Chivas 12. I think I enjoy this and Dewar's 12 equally—they have distinct tastes, so I'll keep both on hand.

Nose: Honey, malt loaf, baking spices. Very subtle Palate: Oak, dusty, dry brandy, apples, pears, floral, caramel Finish: A medium-long finish with oak and caramel, sweet yet strangely drying. Citrus and candied fruit linger in the aftertaste. A pleasant, though unremarkable, easy-drinking spirit. It's a bit unusual, possessing a drier quality than many blends, though it remains a fairly sweet whisky.

A hidden gem (even the bottle's shape suggests it). This is an incredibly flavorful blend, surprisingly obscure, and only 20 euros! It's superior to most entry-level single malts, at half the cost. Why haven't you purchased one yet?! Best enjoyed with "Pusherman" by Curtis Mayfield.