Tomintoul Distillery — Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Tomintoul Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery located near Ballindalloch, in the parish of Kirkmichael, Speyside, Scotland. It was founded in 1964 and is currently owned by Angus Dundee Distillers plc. Tomintoul is known for producing a lighter, gentler style of Speyside single malt, alongside a heavily peated sister expression, Old Ballantruan, made using the same stills.

History

Tomintoul Distillery was established in 1964 by the Glasgow whisky brokers Hay & MacLeod and W. & S. Strong, with production beginning the following year near the village of Tomintoul, close to the source of the Ballantruan spring that still supplies the distillery's water today. The distillery changed hands several times over subsequent decades: it was bought by the Scottish and Universal Investments Trust in 1973, passed to Whyte & Mackay in 1989, and was briefly under American Brands ownership from 1990. In 1974 the distillery doubled its capacity with the addition of a second pair of stills, and it also began releasing its own single malt bottlings that year. In 2000, Tomintoul was acquired by London-based Angus Dundee Distillers plc, which also owns the Glencadam distillery in the Highlands, and under whose stewardship the distillery has continued to expand its core range and build its visitor offering. In 2009, Tomintoul made headlines by producing what was then the world's largest bottle of whisky, a 105.3-litre bottling entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Quick Facts

• Region: Speyside, Scotland
• Founded: 1964
• Owner: Angus Dundee Distillers plc
• Status: Active
• Stills: 2 wash stills and 2 spirit stills (steam-heated)

Core Range

Tomintoul's core single malt range is built around age-statement expressions bottled at 40% ABV, including 10, 12, 14, 16, 21 and a rare 33-year-old. The 12-year-old is also available in Oloroso sherry cask and portwood-finished versions. A no-age-statement expression, Peaty Tang, offers a lightly smoky style, while the distillery's sister brand Old Ballantruan is a heavily peated single malt made on the same stills, contrasting with Tomintoul's traditionally soft, honeyed "Gentle Dram" house style.