Kristiane Sherry
April 22, 2024
The verve and vibrancy of Tomintoul 55 Year Old
The Last Drop is back with its latest batch of extraordinary spirits. Kristiane Sherry immerses herself in the story of its oldest single malt to date: Tomintoul 55 Year Old.
It was generally considered to be the second golden era of Scotch. The 1960s witnessed single malt meaningfully come into its own. A flurry of new distilleries opened too. Tamnavulin, Macduff, Loch Lomond, GlenAllachie and more all saw spirit flow from their stills from the first time. Tomintoul is another from that age, set to celebrate its 60th anniversary next year. It’s incredibly special to taste whisky from that decade. That’s exactly what I have in my tasting glass in front of me, courtesy of The Last Drop. Tomintoul 55 Year Old, the 36th release from the independent bottler, is also its oldest single malt to date. And it feels like a time capsule from a period viewed by many as Scotch whisky’s heyday.
The Last Drop was founded in 2008 with the aim to curate collections of the world’s most remarkable spirits. Unconstrained by category, expressions so far include Scotch, Irish, American and Japanese whiskies, rum, Port, and an extraordinary Pineau des Charentes. I’ve been lucky to taste a fair few of them, each saturated in rich backstories spanning the decades they’ve matured for. These are rare spirits, united in scarcity – and also quality. The Last Drop is a special bottler indeed.
This expression’s narrative starts on 11 November 1968, less than four years after Tomintoul opened. Two butts and four hogsheads were filled, as The Last Drop notes, under a Scorpio sky. Those with a Scorpio sun sign are often considered passionate, intense and enigmatic – qualities that became apparent in the whisky all along its maturation journey.
In March 2022, those six casks were reracked into Amoroso wood. Also known as cream sherry, Amoroso offers a sweeter profile, one which compliments the rambunctiously elegant spirit remarkably. After 20 months, those casks were finally bottled, with almost ethereal results.
The Last Drop’s master blender Colin Scott speaks of its surprising floral notes, with fruit aplenty in with the complexity. For him, dark fruits, raisins and fruitcake dance on the nose, ahead of spices, hazelnuts and a grassiness. The palate brings in an “explosion” of ripe fruits, with sticky toffee pudding and a herbal element, while the finish lingers on lavishly. To my palate it is a triumph, with a vibrancy not often seen in whiskies of this age. A true Scorpio, through and through.
Shop The Last Drop Distillers
Tomintoul 55 Year Old
A stunning Speyside single malt, aged for over five long decades. The latter part of its maturation was spent in Amoroso casks, injecting a powerful yet elegant buoyancy into the intricate spirit. One of just 582 bottles released worldwide.
Pre-Order NowSignature Blend by Drew Mayville
An adroit amalgam of American whiskeys drawn from the Buffalo Trace Distillery archives by master blender Drew Mayville. Alive with bourbons and ryes, this expression was the result of tasting over 40 different parcels.
Buy NowSignature Blend by Louise McGuane
Selected, married and finished by JJ Corry founder Louise McGuane, this 32-year-old single malt Irish whiskey is the first expression in The Last Drop’s Signature Collection. The release was finished in an ex-Oloroso sherry butt for maximum richness.
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