Tamnavulin Red Edition Pinot Noir Finish

About the Tamnavulin Red Edition Pinot Noir Finish

Tamnavulin Red Edition Pinot Noir Finish is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky, bottled at 40% ABV. Its home is Tomnavoulin, near Ballindalloch in Banffshire, deep in Scotland's malt country. Spirit here first fills American ex-bourbon casks. It later moves into red wine casks that once held German Pinot Noir. That second cask sets the colour, a golden rosewood. Everything else in the glass follows from it. Pinot Noir grown in Germany is a rare partner for Scotch. The grape ripens slowly in cool northern vineyards, so the wine stays light and bright. Casks that held it carry less weight than a heavy Spanish red. That suits the house style here, which leans sweet and fruity rather than big and tannic. The wine leaves fruit and colour behind without burying the malt. Balance is the whole point of the finish. Fresh fruit leads the aroma, with grape and cherry close behind. Give it a moment and a little orange peel appears. The sweetness darkens once you taste it, into dried fruit and baked apples. Vanilla runs underneath, a reminder of those first bourbon casks. Ginger and a soft spice edge arrive near the end. The finish turns creamy, with the wine still faintly there. Tamnavulin Red Edition Pinot Noir Finish belongs to the distillery's core collection. What separates it from the rest is the origin of the wood. A German Pinot Noir cask brings red berry lift rather than jammy depth. At 40% ABV the whisky stays light on its feet. The result is fruity without ever turning syrupy. Anyone curious about how wine changes malt will find this an easy place to start.