Skip to main content
pick of the week

If you did a double-take reading the name of this whisky, that may be because you're familiar with another, more famous distillery called the Glenlivet. Tomintoul is not related, though the two are neighbours in a district of the Highlands. The "glen of the livet" literally means valley of the Livet River. In wine terms, "Glenlivet" here roughly refers to an appellation, one of the first quality whisky-producing areas many Scotch drinkers came to know – and ask for – by name. Built in the 1960s, which makes it young by Scottish standards, Tomintoul is now owned by Angus Dundee Distillers, which also operates Glencadam in the Highlands. This is a smooth, supple dram, with a fresh barley character infused with heather, leather, vanilla and toasted nuts. The 16-year-old wood influence is perfectly integrated. It's a balanced, all-occasion whisky, bottled at 40-per-cent alcohol.

Interact with The Globe