Tomintoul 17 Year 2001/2018 Single Cask

Nose: Initially sandalwood, honeysuckle, frangipani, and malt extract. Later, as it settles and opens, rich Christmas cake and plum pudding aromas emerge with tobacco, leather and a very subtle, fleeting hint of smoke. Even later, deep earthy lemon and orange fragrances appear. This nose is a 5-star delight showcasing masterful 100% PX cask maturation. Palate: Warming arrival with soft tannin and honeyed malt. The development reveals a little crisp oak spice, but it's just enough to provide a foundation and balance to the otherwise soft and fruity profile. Roasted nuts, caramel toffee. The texture is oily, woody, and chewy, but with a soft, sweet quality. The balance is excellent, and adding a dash of water makes the mouthfeel creamy and luscious. Finish: Long. Raisins, apricots, and an extended oaken honey note in the aftertaste – sweet and full but dry. Tomintoul's slogan is "the gentle dram," and in most of their core range, this gentleness is almost detrimental due to their tendency to bottle at 40%. I don't believe all whisky must be bottled at high proof just "because," but in Tomintoul's case, there's an argument to be made, as their expressions can often seem too subdued for their own good. However, there is absolutely none of that here (and I've also never had any complaints regarding profile weakness with other cask-strength Tomintouls I've tasted). It is a full-bodied, characterful whisky that displays the distillery's style at its absolute best. This is spirited and sharp when first poured, and it needs 5 minutes for the immediate alcohol to dissipate before the rich and plummy heart of this whisky is revealed, and it just keeps gaining complexity and depth the longer you let it breathe. Water doesn't harm the nose at all but instead brings out honey-cured ham and just a touch of "green" notes – menthol, eucalyptus – but very mild. The palate also responds well to dilution, with the malty tannins transforming into more of a ginger-nut biscuit character. The warming quality on the arrival turns just a shade hotter with some Szechuan pepper emerging, but the foundational honey and caramel-nougat notes never fade away. The palate is very good either neat or diluted, and it can stand being watered down to the low 40s. After it has settled following dilution, the PX sherry wood is much more noticeable as a specific flavor and aroma component. This was put into a PX sherry butt in April 2001 and then left to mature undisturbed for 17 years before being bottled in September 2018. That's the proper way to make whisky. This is almost certainly only available through secondary markets now, and if I could find one, I'd buy it. Tasted from a 30ml sample. "Excellent": 88/100 (4.5 stars)