Tomintoul Single Malt Scotch Whisky has announced the limited release of a rare 50-year-old single cask, double wood-matured Vintage expression.
Following the Tomintoul 1973 bottling launched in 2018, Tomintoul Distillery has now released a limited-edition single cask from the same year: Tomintoul Vintage 1973, Cask No. 261.
Distilled in February 1973, the rare single malt was initially matured for 33 years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels in Tomintoul’s Cairngorms warehouse. The Scotch was then filled into a single Oloroso Sherry hogshead cask, hand-selected by Master Distiller Robert Fleming, for further maturation.
The single malt was matured for an additional 17 years before being bottled at natural colour and a cask strength of 42.9% ABV shortly after reaching 50 years of age in April 2023.
Fourth generation Speyside distiller, Robert Fleming, who personally selected the casks for this expression, said: “At Tomintoul, we’re one of just a few single malt Scotch whiskies still lovingly produced by hand. Using traditional techniques that stretch back hundreds of years, we take great pride in our whisky and appreciate the flavour and complexity that develops from time spent in the cask.
“We were able to let this cask of Tomintoul Vintage 1973 rest in its second stage of maturation in a handpicked Oloroso Sherry hogshead cask until it reached 50 years.
“The result is a remarkably rich and opulent single malt. Layers of crème caramel, roast pecans and fruitcake combine with a gentle hint of tobacco, treacle and liquorice. The long-lasting finish is punctuated with notes of dark chocolate ganache fading into stem ginger and delicate spices.”
A total of 281 bottles are available, at an RSP of £10,000.
