TORMORE 80/100

..... contemporary speysider, and foundation to the Long John Blend.
Popular with young Euro-kids, this accessible and undemanding malt accepts coca-cola with dignity.
Grainy, malt-simple and seemingly ready 'wine' finished, it will rarely make the connoisseur's shelves, but it still makes people happy.
...... and that's all right.

TOMINTOUL 83/100

.......Independant speysider providing volume light Malts to the Blenders portfolios and putting some zest and zing into Blended whiskies.
Grainy, green-barley, floral, grassy and light.
some cracking aged ones out there, but chose carefully !!!

TOMATIN 83/100

.... north highland, and regular jobbing Malt.
If it's volume you want, this has 24 stills producing over 22 million litres a year. ...... more than I can drink!
Younger versions are a bit two-dimensional, whilst older versions are engaging, and Indi's are few and far between.
Fruity cereal, herbal-tea and caramelised oak make up the basic signature.
Tomatin 12 y.o. 83/100

TOBERMOREY 79/100

..... Cinderella Malt from the Island of Mull.
............ so what's the story Tobermory, nice Town, shame about the whisky !!!!
As a 10 y.o. it is the last choice one would make from the supermarket shelf, .. not good, ...and yet, old versions are excellent, being full of character.
So the solution may lay in leaving this whisky till it's 14 y.o..
A fancy 15 y.o. was 'released' in 2008 in a pretty box, and retailers pimped it like mad.
£53, ............. er, ..... noooo, I don't think so
This Malt needs direction, so perhaps the distillers should concentrate on the peated version called LEDAIG, and distil Tobermory elsewhere.
Grainy, vague, barley cereal, mustard and resin.
Tobermory 10 y.o. 65/100

TEANINICH 84/100

... decent fresh north highland Malt helping out Diageo, and noted for understatement rather than overstatement.!!!
A chameleon Malt, it can be brilliant or mediocre, soft or aggressive, ...but rarely boring.
The signature is cereal/fruit, bitter toffee and soft whitr pepper-honey. This delivery can be very coy! so give the whisky time to open.
Teaninich 12 y.o. (exclusive malts) 92/100

TAMNAVULIN 86/100

.... a complex malt from speyside, it mainly makes up Whyyte & Mackay Blends.
I call this the 'vermouth' Malt as it is reminicent of Italian herbal, bitter rural vermouth's. I find this quite engaging and although official bottlings fudge the signature with E150, there are some treats to be got from the Indi's.
Tamnavulin 12 y.o. 82/100

TAMDHU 84/100

.... quality speysider providing much needed quality for Edrington Blends.
This whisky only recently became 'noticed' amongst Malt drinkers and is building a slow but sure reputation for itself in the U.K.
Mild, articulate, mannered, toffee, biscuity, citrus fruit/pepper and nutty with good balance.
Indi tamdhu's can be quality if you search.
Tamdhu 83/100