Old Ballantruan

Old Ballantruan is the peaty version of Tomintoul, made with peated barley and matured on sherry casks. It is bottled at a nice 50% ABV. There is also a 10 Year Old, but I will try the NAS version.

Malty nose with a medicinal touch. The difference with the Tomintoul Peaty Tang is little, although this one is slightly more fruity. Mirabelles, strawberry jam, nuts and hay. The peat is sweet and offers some green herbs, albeit discrete.

It is powerful and spicy on the palate. Salt and pepper, as well as cloves and ginger. Loads of citrus, now, joining the fruit from the nose. Earty notes. Roots. The medicinal edge is more prominent and the smoke is quite pleasant.

The finish is fairly long and warm with some seaweed and citrus at the death.

Nicely peated whisky from Speyside that can easily hold its own next to peated BenRiach for example. Around 40 EUR which is a very nice price/quality ratio.