Review - Tomintoul Seiridh

This whisky is a limited edition single malt from the Speyside distillery of Tomintoul. The Seiridh, which translates as 'sherry' from Scottish Gaelic and is pronounced 'sheh-ree', is a no age statement whisky that has seen initial maturation in American oak ex-bourbon casks from Kentucky, USA before being transferred to first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry butts for a finishing period. These ex-sherry casks were hand selected for the release by Robert Fleming, the Master Distiller for Tomintoul, from a family-owned bodega in Jerez, Spain. In this first batch there are just 6,000 bottles and each is individually numbered. The Tomintoul Seiridh is bottled at 40% ABV and is available in selected specialist retailers. A bottle should cost arounf the £32-35 mark.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (July 21, 2017)

Welcome to Inbox.  For those new to WFE, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Have just tried > Glencadam 10 years old

Glencadam is a little known distillery that is located in the eastern Highlands town of Brechin, which lies between Dundee and Aberdeen. It was founded in 1825 and is the last remaining distillery in a once rich whisky producing area. It has a renowned history of producing and supplying whisky to some of Scotland's biggest blending houses, with Glencadam historically forming an important part of top selling blends such as Ballantine's and Teacher's. Today their whisky is the cornerstone of the Angus Dundee blended range of whisky. Angus Dundee Distillers took over the distillery and reopened it in 2003. It had been closed by the previous owners in 2000, but everything was kept intact so that production could restart immediately (this is called 'mothballing'). They soon had Glencadam running back at full capacity, which is 1.4 million litres per year, and built a blending centre on the site in 2006.

A new range
This 10 years old forms part of a revamped range of single malt whiskies that were released by Angus Dundee in mid 2010. It joins a 15 and a 21 years old in the core range and these are to be supplemented by additional limited releases, of which the current two are the 12 years old Portwood (finished in Port casks, unsurprisingly!) and the 14 years old Sherry Finish. All of the new range are to be bottled at a 46% ABV, which is a higher strength than previous bottlings from Glencadam, and are not chill filtered. For an explanation of chill filtration - click here for our 'Explain About ...' post. This 10 years old is available in specialist whisky and liquor retailers and should cost £30-35 a bottle.

Our tasting notes
The colour of this Glencadam 10 years old is a light yellow gold and the nose is light and fresh, yet intense. There are a number of very pleasant and fragrant aromas that are present - predominantly vanilla, honey and cereal grains. With time, further notes of dried grass (think of hay), crisp green fruit (especially pear and apple) and oak (imagine pencil shavings or sawdust) start to come through and develop. After approximately five minutes in the glass a distinct note of custard powder is evident. The palate, like the nose, is simple but very well constructed and full of strong characteristics. The whisky is fresh, vibrant and makes your mouth water with an initial note of striking lemon zest. Then some sweeter flavours appear, such as the pleasant honey, vanilla and green fruits from the nose. Again, further notes develop with time - some shortbread, malty cereal grains and zingy, tangy sherbet. The finish is also tangy with plenty of initial vanilla and honey giving a good sweetness. However, it then becomes much drier and woodier with oak and ginger spice coming through.

What's the verdict?
This Glencadam 10 years old is a lovely whisky that exhibits characteristics classic ex-bourbon cask maturation. It's lightness, freshness and vibrancy would make it ideal as an aperitif dram or in hot weather. Glencadam has always been said to be an under rated distillery, but the classical nature of the whisky should gain it plenty of new fans and we can't wait to now try the other whiskies from the new range. A delightful dram.

Have just tried ... Tomintoul Peaty Tang

Famous neighbours
Tomintoul (pronounced tom-in-towel) is one of the youngest distilleries in Scotland. It was founded in 1964 and is located close to the village of Ballindalloch, on the southern edge of the Speyside whisky region. The distillery is the nearest neighbour to the famous Glenlivet and Cragganmore distilleries and produces around 3 million litres per year. Tomintoul is little know to the wider audience but they are well reknowned for their use of quality sherry casks for maturation. The main market for Tomintoul single malt whisky is mainland Europe.

A peaty Speyside whisky?
Tomintoul is the second highest distillery in Scotland at 286 metres (808 feet) above sea level and regularly suffers poor weather and cold temperatures as a result. The distillery is frequently cut off by heavy snowfall during winter. Dalwhinnie in the central Highlands is the highest at 326 metres (1075 feet). The current owners are Angus Dundee Distillers and most of the whisky produced is allocated to blending contracts. However, the popularity is growing and the single malt core range is expanding to reflect this. The range consists of a 10, 12, 16 and 33 years old, as well as two peated versions - this Peaty Tang and the heavier Old Ballantruan. Peaty whiskies are traditionally produced on the Scottish islands and are a rarity for Speyside distilleries.

Our tasting notes
The colour of Peaty Tang is light and golden and the nose is fresh, clean and crisp. There is initial vanilla and cereal grains (think of the husks especially) before the vibrant 'peaty tang' kicks in. The peatiness is reminiscent of damp earth and has a root-like element to it. There is also a slight floral note (imagine heather) and a hint of dried fruits (particularly sultanas). On the palate, there is distinct malted barley and nuts (think of almonds) and these are joined by the vanilla and dried fruit from the nose. The 'peaty tang' is sweeter and slightly more prominent than on the nose but still has that earthy, rooty quality to it. These elements combine well with an additonal touch of saltiness and spiciness (imagine peppercorns). The overall feeling is vibrant, fresh and uncomplicated. The finish begins sweetly before turning oaky and dry, with the peaty smokiness lingering after the other elements have faded. The addition of water leads the whisky to fall apart slightly - a more floral, honey-like note comes out on the nose and the 'tang' is flattened.

What's the verdict?
This was a pleasant surprise and much nicer than expected. It is uncomplicated yet enjoyable and the level of peatiness/smokiness would make it a good whisky to introduce someone to the smoky whisky genre. Peaty Tang is also more delicate than the regular sherry cask matured malts from Tomintoul. It offers something different to the regular Speyside whiskies and also gives good value for money at £25-30 a bottle. An interesting whisky.

Have just tried ... Glencadam 1990 16 years old from A. D. Rattray

Glencadam is a little known distillery that is located in the eastern Highlands. It was built in the town of Brechin (between Dundee and Aberdeen) in 1825 and is the last remaining distillery in an area that was once a thriving whisky producing area. The current owners are Angus Dundee Distillers and they took over the distillery and in 2003. It had been closed by the previous owners in 2000, but kept intact so that production could restart when required (this is known as 'mothballing'). They soon had Glencadam running back at full capacity (approx. 1.4 million litres per year). Glencadam has a reknowned history for producing and supplying whisky to Scotland's biggest blending houses and formed an important part of top selling blends like Ballantine's and Teacher's.

A.D. Rattray is one of Scotland's best known independent whisky bottlers and was originally an importing company for wine, olive oil, continental spirits and aperitifs. Formerly known as Dewar Rattray, it was founded by Andrew Dewar and William Rattray in 1868 and soon became involved in the bottling and blending of whisky from some of the local distilleries. Nowadays, the company is run by Tim Morrison, who is a fourth generation descendent of Andrew Dewar. He took control in 2004 and independently resources top quality whiskies from all over Scotland, with the aim to bring unusual, different and single cask whisky to the consumer. For further information, go to www.adrattray.co.uk.

This Glencadam was distilled in 1990 and bottled at 16 years of age. It is a single cask release (a bourbon cask), consisting of just 271 bottles and is at cask strength (a hefty 59.7% ABV in this case!). The colour is bright and golden and the nose intense but very fresh. There is a lot of malty cereal grain initially with a lovely combination of intense coconut, vanilla and a hint of dried fruits (think of apricot especially) coming through. On the palate, this is clean, lively and again very fresh. Despite the high alcohol content, the whisky feels very well balanced but we did try it with some water later. The maltiness is again the first thing that appears before being quickly joined by the vanilla, coconut and apricot notes from the nose. In addition, there are some oak, toffee, nuts (think of almonds) and spices (imagine nutmeg) that add to the complexity. With water, it feels creamier in the mouth and the initial zingy nature is reduced, with even more maltiness and nuttiness. The finish is lovely and long with a heap of toffee, vanilla and coconut. The prominent maltiness is strong, almost to the point of becoming a little too dry for comfort. Otherwise, an absolutely cracking dram.

Have just tried ... Old Ballantruan

Old Ballantruan is a single malt whisky that is produced by the Tomintoul distillery. Tomintoul (pronounced tom-in-towel) was opened in 1964 and is located in the famous Livet glen, close to the village of Ballindalloch, on the southern edge of Scotland's Speyside region. It is large and produces around 3 million litres per year. Tomintoul is the second highest distillery in Scotland at 286 metres (808 feet) above sea level and regularly suffers poor weather and cold temperatures as a result. Dalwhinnie in the central Highlands is the highest at 326 metres (1075 feet). The current owners are Angus Dundee Distillers, and most of the whisky produced there is allocated to blending contracts.

Old Ballantruan is unusual for a Speyside whisky as it is produced using peated malted barley and is very smoky in nature. This style of whisky is normally associated with island distilleries but there is a growing trend in Scotland's other whisky regions to use peated malt. This is due to the current high demand for smoky whiskies around the world. Old Ballantruan was first produced in 2001 as an experiment and is bottled at roughly five or six years of age and 50% ABV. It has a peating level of 30ppm (phenols per million) which puts it at a similar strength to Until recently, it formed part of Tomintoul's core range but has now been discontinued. Tomintoul produce another smoky whisky called Peaty Tang, which is lightly peated and fresher than Old Ballantruan and production of this continues.

Old Ballantruan has a golden yellow colour with a brown tint and a nose that is simple but striking. There is plenty of peaty smoke (think of damp moss and earth) and malty barley grains. The nose has a touch of raw alcohol spirit to it which indicates that this is a young whisky, but it is not detrimental and is joined by an interesting dark and slightly bitter element (imagine a dark chocolate or espresso coffee). On the palate, this packs a peaty punch (that damp moss and earth again) but then settles nicely so that the peaty smoke element combines with the other elements present. This is rich, creamy (almost oily) and full bodied in your mouth. There is a lovely level of sweetness that comes from the peat and barley as well as elements of caramel, vanilla and a touch of something savoury (it may sound strange but it is reminiscent of smoked bacon). The finish is vibrant and long with a lovely combination of the obvious smokiness (this seems more ashy and less earthy here), sweet caramel, vanilla and some wood spice (think of cinnamon).

The Old Ballantruan is a pleasant and enjoyable dram. It offers some interesting characteristics and can certainly sit comfortably amongst its more well known smoky whisky rivals from the islands. It offers an interesting smoky whisky alternative, although it is hard to find as the bottlings were limited. A bottle should cost £28-35 from selected specialist whisky retailers.

Have just tried ... Glencadam 15 years old

Glencadam is a little known distillery that is located in the eastern Highlands. It was built in the town of Brechin, which lies between Dundee and Aberdeen, in 1825 and is the last remaining distillery in what was once a thriving whisky producing area. It has a reknowned history of producing and supplying whisky to some of Scotland's biggest blending houses. Historically, Glencadam has formed an important part of top selling blends such as Ballantine's and Teacher's and today is the cornerstone of the Angus Dundee blended range of whisky.

Angus Dundee Distillers took over the distillery and reopened it in 2003. It had been closed by the previous owners in 2000, but everything was kept intact so that production could restart immediately whenever required (this is called 'mothballing'). Angus Dundee soon had Glencadam running back at full capacity (approx. 1.4 million litres per year) and built a blending centre on the part of the site in 2006.

This 15 years old is currently the only one distillery bottling of single malt whisky from Glencadam and was first released in 2005. There are a number of independent bottling releases and these are growing in number and popularity. The nose is very aromatic with lots of interesting characteristics - a heap of vanilla, oaky woodiness (think of fresh sawdust) and warm spices (cinnamon especially) mixing with a distinct nuttiness (imagine a creamy nut like an almond) and fizzy sherbet sweets (sounds odd I know, but its the nearest thing we could think of). On the palate, this is very malty with lots of sweet cereal grains present. It is medium bodied and soft with a reduced spiciness (cinnamon again) and woodiness from the nose. Other elements present themselves, notably some coconut, toffee and a citrus tang (think of lemons). It is pleasant but slightly disappointing and flat compared to the robust nose. The finish is punchy and short. There is a lot of woodiness (almost bitter and reminded me of tree resin or sap) and leaves a warm burn in your mouth and throat that is extremely drying.

This is a slightly strange one as we found ourselves wanting to like it more than we did. The reason is that the interesting, pungent and complex nose fails to convert favourably to the palate and feels flat, before teasing you with that punchy dry finish. Despite this, it is still a decent enjoyable dram but could be very good if it had a bit more going on in your mouth. Glencadam 15 years old is relatively hard to find, normally reserved for the shelves of specialist whisky retailers. A bottle is £35-40.

Have just tried ... Tomintoul 16 years old

Tomintoul (pronounced tom-in-towel) is one of Scotland's younger distilleries and was opened in 1964. It is located in the famous Livet glen, close to the village of Ballindalloch, on the southern edge of the Speyside region. It is reasonably large and produces around 3 million litres per year. Tomintoul is the second highest distillery in Scotland at 286 metres (808 feet) above sea level and regularly suffers poor weather and cold temperatures as a result. The distillery is frequently cut off by heavy snowfall during winter. Dalwhinnie in the central Highlands is the highest at 326 metres (1075 feet). The current owners are Angus Dundee Distillers, and most of the whisky produced there is allocated to blending contracts.

Tomintoul is little know to the wider audience but is well reknowned for their use of quality sherry casks for maturation. Its popularity is increasing and the single malt core range is expanding to reflect this. The range consists of a 10 years old , a new 12 years old matured in Oloroso sherry casks, this 16 years old and a 27 years old. There are also two peated versions, which are unusual for a Speyside distillery, called 'Old Ballantruan' (very smoky and just discontinued) and 'Peaty Tang' (much lighter, fresher smoke). The main market for Tomintoul single malt is mainland Europe.

The colour is a rich golden amber and the nose is appetising. There is an immediate dried fruit hit (imagine raisins and sultanas) with some woody spices (think of nutmeg and cinnamon). These are classic signs that a whisky has been matured in a sherry cask for at least some of its life. Following on is a reasonably intense citrus note (think of dried orange peel or marmalade), an interesting nuttiness (imagine almonds) and just a whiff of raw spirit that catches your nose hairs. On the palate, this is feels thinner than the richness that the nose was suggesting. It is quite rich and has a slight buttery feel that balances the sweetness of the dried fruit, vanilla and citrus notes from the nose (this reminded me of butterscotch). There is also a maltiness from the barley, some vanilla, some more harsh raw spirit that burns your throat a bit and a woodiness that increases with time. The finish is reasonable, fruity and still quite spirity, with the malty note coming through prominently, as does some spice (nutmeg or cinammon again). The overall feeling is pretty dry and woody (think of damp wood).

Tomintoul 16 years old is slightly disappointing. For something of this age we were expecting more richness, sweetness and a fuller body. The presence of that raw spirity feeling should also not be there at this age and is more common in young whisky. It is still a reasonably decent dram and should cost you around £30-35 for a bottle, which is not too bad for a 16 years old. It is a creative alternative to other similar but more well known whiskies of this sherried style, such as Balvenie, Glenfarclas or Macallan.

Have just tried ... Glencadam 1991 'Single & Single' from Milroy's

Glencadam can be found in the town of Brechin in the east Highlands. The distillery reopened in 2003 when it was bought by new owners, Angus Dundee Distillers. It had been closed by the previous owners in 2000, who kept everything intact so that production could restart immediately (this is called 'mothballing'). There is currently only one distillery bottling from Glencadam, which is a 15 years old, and most of the whisky produced goes into blends (primarily Ballantine's and Teacher's). However, there are a number of independent bottling releases. This one is a 16 years old and is limited to only 3840 bottles. It has been bottled for Milroy's, a famous whisky and wine shop in the centre of London, and I understand it will be available soon for around £50.

The colour is light for something of this age (similar to the colour of hay). The nose is very vegetal with sweet, grassy and floral notes (like a spring meadow), although a whiff of raw spirit is also present. On the palate, there is an initial zing of citrus zest with vanilla and a sugary sweetness taking over. It is very light and quite refreshing. The finish is very disappointing, it is pretty much gone before it's got started with lots of raw spirit present. This is a shame because otherwise it is a decent, light and refreshing whisky.