This was the fourth whisky in the Arrowine/Impex tasting from early November. After three straight high-quality drams - Invergordon, Glen Moray, and Benmenach - I knew I was in for something good with this 10 Year expression from Tomintoul, a whisky whose official bottling I've had and reviewed here. It was ... alright, at best. But this bottling from Exclusive Malts? Well... let's see. No chill-filtering, no coloring, bottled at 56.2% ABV.
Nose: Brown sugar, strong floral scent, soapy (lavender soap, specifically), vanilla extract. An overwhelmingly sweet, concentrated aroma.
Mouthfeel: Thin but silky.
Palate: Marshmallow! Very, very strong marshmallow flavor - the strongest I've ever tasted. Wide, warm marshmallows. Past that: apple flesh, salt, candle wax. The marshmallow is delectable. I want more of this.
Finish: Strong wood, more marshmallows.
Verdict: What an interesting, deliciously sweet Scotch! The heavy marshmallow flavor almost makes this a dessert drink, but the balancing flavors of apples, wax, salt, and wood tannins really help pull it back into the realm of "around the clock drink." Superb. Another winner from Exclusive Malts, I plain on picking this up very soon. This is as different from the official bottling of Tomintoul as night is from day.
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