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Day 19 - KWM 2025 This Is Still Not An Advent Calendar

Posted on December 22, 2025

by Evan 

We are in the midst of tough times in the whisky economy as I write this. Sales have flat lined and even dropped over the past few years, and it has left the entire industry scrambling to adjust. Some have adjusted better than others, but quite a few brands and companies have yet to take slowing sales into account and seem to be stuck pricing their offerings like we are all still fresh out of quarantine and thirsty for anything we can get our hands on. 

Another thing that has happened is companies stretching their stock out or special releases and casks finishes. These special bottles often don’t end up feeling so special, thanks to being released in an insanely diluted fashion to the bare minimum 40% ABV while at the same time demanding a high price to purchase that leaves one perplexed. 

Just as bad is the dumping of excess young whisky stock into an assortment of ex wine and ex fortified wine casks for a dubious amount of time to make that typically bland 40% ABV release sexy. How about releasing it at 46% or 50% or more? That would actually be sexy and enticing. 

Certain companies seem to feel like they didn’t get a chance to gouge customers enough during the lengthy but now finished whisky boom. So what do they do? They attempt to correct course and make up for this egregious loss by now releasing too many too new, half-baked bottlings at a too-high price. 

Okay, that is enough ranting for now. 

In a completely unrelated note, let’s talk about Tomintoul Distillery.

The amount of available bottlings has exploded in the past few years, as the core range of the Gentle Dram has been surrounded by special releases, cask finishes, and others of the like. Most of these have been bottled at 40% ABV. The few that haven’t command a strangely selected price that puts it at the range – and sometimes beyond said range – of certain luxury branded single malts. 

Guess what? Much of those luxury brand whisky releases are collecting dust on shelves. They aren’t the license to print money that they used to be. So, what do you think is happening to expensive releases from brands that don’t have the same cache to them? Hmm… 

Shoot, I went off topic again. Lets get back to Tomintoul Distillery and their owners – Angus Dundee. 

Angus Dundee Distillers has been around for over 70 Years, and owns Tomintoul Distillery as well as Glencadam Distillery. The company was established in 1950 by a gentleman named Terry Hillman. Before going off to found his own company, Terry was an executive at Burn Stewart 

Terry Hillman was succeeded by his children Aaron and Tania, whom remain in control of Angus Dundee today. 

For the first 50 years of its life – Angus Dundee was focused on creating and selling Blended Scotch Whisky. That changed slightly with he acquisition of Tomintoul Distillery in 2000. 

Tomintoul turned 60 years old in 2025. It also has now been under Angus Dundee Distillers stewardship for 25 years now, having been purchased by the company in the year 2000. Before that, Tomintoul was owned by Whyte and Mackay. In 2003, it purchased and took over the Glencadam Distillery from Allied Domecq. 

While both Tomintoul and Glencadam receive focus as Single Malt Scotch brands, blending is still a big part of Angus Dundee’s focus. Other than Tomintoul and Glencadam, most brands are not currently sold in Canada, including: 

  • The Dundee Blended Malt Scotch 

  • Smokey Joe Islay Blended Malt Scotch 

  • The Double Peat Blended Malt Scotch 

  • For Peat’s Sake Blended Malt Scotch 

Angus Dundee is also in the process of building a whisky distillery in Chun’an, China. 

For the most part, Angus Dundee seems to focus on selling whisky that is accessible or a large market – both in style and price. This is a great idea if the price is reasonable and value can be found, although I would argue that their current pricing structure here in Alberta is perhaps a bit out to lunch. The other potential downside for a lot of their Tomintoul and Glencadam bottlings is a combination of NAS and young whisky bottled at only 40%. I understand that not everybody loves a high strength whisky like I do, but if your bottle lacks both value AND character thanks to low ABV, you might have problems. 

Enough about that, though. You know what the great thing about indie bottlers is, right? They release a wide variety of small batch and single cask offerings. Sometimes (often times?), these limited releases from independent bottlers offer more excitement and perhaps even more value than official Single Malt Scotch bottlings put out by the company's that actually own the distilleries the whisky was produced it. Perhaps it because they are often bottled at a higher alcohol strength and give a purer representation of that kind of whisky said distillery is capable of producing.

Or, perhaps I am just heavily biased.

Anyhow, this bottling of Tomintoul comes to us care of Hunter Laing, as part of the 25th Anniversary celebration of their venerable Old Malt Cask range. Will it surprise and delight in the manner that Day 9’s Old Malt Cask Speyburn 17 did? Let’s find out! 

Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary Tomintoul 17 Year Old – 50% 

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: soft, fruity, doughy, and decadent; warm sourdough baguettes with French butter; nutty, toasty, and just a little funky; slight tart off dry Gwertztraminer; supple new leather, fermenting cocoa bean husks, and woodshop notes; grassy malt.

Palate: surprisingly malty, but pleasantly so, this is a barley forward old school malt; soft, nutty, and fruity; tart manzanilla sherry notes, sharp cheese, and a bit of cured meats; crab apple jelly; dried cranberries, cherries, and apricot; walnut liqueur, cocoa nibs, and cooked raisins; building wood spices in particular clove and nutmeg.

Finish: bright, fruity, and nutty with fading leather and spices; a touch of sweet dark chocolate at the very end.

Comment: Tomintoul is a malt I struggle with, but this is something altogether different; it is a bit wild and untamed, but all the more enjoyable for it!

Evan’s Tasting Note 

Nose:  I know this is a whisky, but it noses quite a bit like a Waldorf Salad. Apple skins, celery leaf, raisins, dried strawberries, lychee, seasoned oak planks, and an Arnold Palmer (lemonade mixed with iced tea). 

Palate: Surprisingly juicy with moderate spice coming through up front. Poached pears, pineapple chunks, shaved almonds, a small sip of Sauternes, Country Tyme Lemonade, and a dash of honey. 

Finish: Lingering notes of an Arnold Palmer, lychee, and pineapple plus drying oak and spice on the fade. 

Comment: Easily the most exciting unpeated Tomintoul I have tasted in a while. The refill cask shows on this one, as the result is more than just a big, dumpy dram. This is a refill cask that mingled with a lively spirit and made a beautiful bottle of whisky. 

Wow. 10 Days ago, we had the very refreshing and well-done Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary Speyburn. That was lovely. This OMC Tomintoul is just as good – and possibly better. 

Cheers, 

Evan 

evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com 

 

This entry was posted in Whisky, Tastings, Whisky Calendars, Independent Bottler, Tastings - Online Tasting, KWM 2025 Still Not An Advent Calendar Tastings

 

 

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