A heavily peated malt for a Speyside distillery, bottled at higher proof, Old Ballantruan is an unusually peated single malt from the Tomintoul distillery.
The nose is full and rich. There are notes of vanilla fudge and chewy toffee with shades of dried herbs and crème de cacao. There are notes of gentle peat and creosote with a touch of menthol and notes of malt extract. The palate is full and punchy. There are notes of barley sugar and toasted cereals, a cardboard note with hints of vanilla fudge and notes of chewy dark peat. There are tones of lemon marmalade and herbs. The finish is long and smooth with notes of soft wood smoke and barley sugar enriched peat.
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Not as smooth as the 10 or 15 year old ones, but still a beautiful dram at a very reasonable price. Loved it!
I love peaty Islay malts but was looking for a change and thought a peaty yet light Speyside sounded unusual. First taste was underwhelming but maybe my expectations were wrong. Anyway, revisited the following evening and I am now a big fan. Complex smoke with a very smooth and rich finish. Will buy again.
A very good peaty dram, the peat is different, not Islay style, not in a bad way, I really enjoyed it. Beyond the peat it is sweet and tasty. At 50% and NCF it is well above many . Blended with Talisker 10, Highland peat is on top and it got more pungent.
Note the negative reviews as well as the positive, they are all relevant. This is a very bold whisky, I am still searching for more texture and layers. I am not yet sure if a lot is being hidden behind the large peat character. It is very much like the Ileach and Scarabus, these big, bold young Islay expressions. So much so I double checked where each expression is from. I am hoping for more subtlety from this as the bottle sits a while, now it is opened. As a fan of all things Isla, I do actually prefer the straight Tomintoul 16 and that is not cask strength. It sat forty minutes first, with a splash of water; still it was a neck pour so bear in mind.
I am telling you that after a curry this is the sweetest, smoothest, tastiest dram ever! After a cold day shooting 12 over on the links, a wee dram or three does the trick, to really take the mind off the golf. It really is exceptional stuff, so tasty and moreish. If you like Islay, e.g. Lagavulin 16 or 8 both top notch, but this is around £10 cheaper and gives you a big bang for the buck. I drink it with 1 ice cube (sorry!), and don't touch it for 5-10 mins, then go for it...you will not be displeased. It really is sensational.
Was: £39.67Now: £37.25
