The Antiquary 21 Port Casks - Whisky Review

A flavorful blended Scotch Whisky made by Tomatin

A bit about

The Antiquary, once produced by J&W Hardy, is now a product of Tomatin Distillery, which took over in 1996.

With a beautiful, vibrant color and 40% ABV, The Antiquary 21 Port Casks combines Highland and Speyside malts with Lowland grains, which, after being married, have spent 3 years in Tawny Port casks.

Time to try it!

Nose: Subtle dried fruit on the nose, plums, caramelised sugar and a hint of smoke

Palate: Very smooth, somewhat oily on the palate with a bit of smoke, especially towards the end, not overly sweet, with lingering dark fruit and tannins

Finish: Long, with a bit of brine to begin with, followed by dry smoke, somewhat dry, but pleasant overall

Pros and Cons

Both in taste and finish, you can tell this whisky has spent some time in port casks.

The delicate, floral peat is well-balanced with a subtle sweetness and overall fruitiness.

After pouring a dram and leaving it to rest, more of the peat seems to surface, but nothing over-the-top, and, if anything, quite needed in this balance.

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In Conclusion

For me, it's been an intriguing whisky, as it has quite a lot of complexity while being quite gentle on the palate, especially when it comes to the amount of peat.

Considering a bottle of this is priced at around £95 on most UK websites, I find it to be very good value for the quality it offers.

If you want to give this one a try, you can find it here.

As always, please drink responsibly.

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I hope life is treating you well.

Take care