Old Ballantruan, 10YO Single Malt (70cl, 50%)

Get to know: Old Ballantruan 10 Year Old Single Malt

A heavily peated Speyside single malt whisky from Tomintoul Distillery, an unusual find in a region best known for its softer style.

Tasting Note

Speyside isn't where you'd normally go looking for smoke, which makes this one stand out straight away. Soft spice and rich peat lead the nose, intense and a little vanilla-sweet underneath. On the palate the peat smoke takes charge: black pepper alongside it so you know this a solid, no-nonsense pour. The finish is where it really expresses itself: intense and spicy, with a sweet, creamy, malty backbone building to a crescendo of  log-fire smokey depth. Bottled at 50%, this is a straightforward, honestly peaty dram.

Serving suggestions:

• Neat, to get the full peat and pepper hit
• A splash of water if the smoke feels too intense on first pour
• Good for peat fans looking for something other than Islay

Kate Says

"Old Ballantruan is Tomintoul's peated side and this was the first Old Ballantruan bottled with an age statement, which tells you they were confident enough in it to put a number on the label. If you love the malts of Islay, make this your next bottle to try."

Producer Info

Tomintoul Distillery is based in Speyside, Scotland, and is best known for a soft, easy-drinking house style. Old Ballantruan is its peated line, made using heavily peated barley, a deliberate change of direction from the distillery's usual output. It takes its name from an exceptional source of the purest of waters, the Ballantruan spring, nestled in the Cromdale Hills close to Tomintoul, the highest village in the Highlands of Scotland. The peat is sourced locally to the Speyside region and when burnt infuses their barley with true Speyside elements such as heather and ancient mossy-grass giving Old Ballantruan its distinct smoky, log fire flavours that can be picked up so unmistakably on the nose and palate.

How it's made:

• Base ingredient: Heavily peated malted barley
• Distilled at Tomintoul Distillery, Speyside
• Aged for a minimum of 10 years
• Cask type: American Oak

Good to know:

• Region: Speyside, Scotland
• Style: Heavily peated single malt Scotch whisky
• Closure: Cork Stopper
• Vegan: Yes
• ABV: 50%
• Age statement: 10 Years Old

Why we love it:

A heavily peated Speyside single malt whisky that catches people off guard in the best way: real smoke from a region that rarely goes near it.