From the Tomintoul desk · Thread · Value pick · 2026-11-05

Tomintoul 16: the everyday stand-in for Tomintoul 21

mergedmay_publish truequality passsite_publish falseprices: 2 price claim(s) verified live

1/Fond of the Tomintoul 21? It's $340 for members at Dan Murphy's this week: floral, refined, properly grown-up. Here's the cheeky bit. The Tomintoul 16 gives a 21 drinker about 89% of what the 21 does, for 39% of the price.

2/The Tomintoul 16: $132 for members, sixteen years old, bottled at 40%. The label calls it a 'Gentle Dram' and it means it. Nose: fragrant. Palate: a firm malty base, fruit gum drops and caramel, with almond and anise to keep you curious. Finish: soft, subtle wood spice.

3/So what does a 21 drinker give up? Mostly five years of age, and some of the sherry and dried fruit. The 21 usually sells around $369, so the 16 is about 36% of that. The 21 stays the one for its fans; the 16 is the one for every other night.

Sources

Prices at Dan Murphy's as of 2026-11-05 (5 November 2026); vintage 2026-11-05.1; bottles: Tomintoul 16 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL, Tomintoul 21 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL.
Tomintoul 16 for a Tomintoul 21 drinker (share of what the Tomintoul 21 gives): 89% (stand_ins.alternatives.share_of_ref)
Tomintoul 16 price as a share of the Tomintoul 21's, this week: 39% (stand_ins.alternatives.share_of_price)
Tomintoul 16 price this week: $132 (price.ticket)
Tomintoul 21 price this week: $340 (price.ticket)
Tomintoul 16 per standard drink: $5.98 (price.ticket / standard drinks)
a pint at the pub, per standard drink (about $13 a pint, 2 standard drinks): $6.28 (PUB_PINT)
a pint at the pub: $13 (PUB_PINT)
Tomintoul 21 per standard drink: $15.39 (price.ticket / standard drinks)
Tomintoul 21 usual price: $369 (price_guide.usual)
Tomintoul 16's usual price as a share of the Tomintoul 21's usual price: 36% (price_guide.usual / price_guide.usual)
Tomintoul 16 ABV: 40% (identity.abv)
WHAT IT GIVES UP (fixed: keep its meaning; never give another reason): What a Tomintoul 21 drinker gives up with the Tomintoul 16 is mostly five years of age and some of the sherry and dried fruit.
THIS WEEK V USUAL (say it calmly, once): Tomintoul 21 is below its usual price this week: it usually sells around $369, and against that the Tomintoul 16 is about 36% of the price.

Omissions

None recorded.

Notes for reviewer

None recorded.

Frontmatter as merged

{
 "date": "2026-11-05",
 "title": "Tomintoul 16: the everyday stand-in for Tomintoul 21",
 "angle": "value-pick",
 "shape": "thread",
 "masthead": "the-whisky-guy",
 "status": "draft",
 "may_publish": true,
 "generator": "new",
 "artefact_id": "2026-11-05-cycle/value-pick/tomintoul-16-years-old-single-malt-scotch-whisky-700ml-tomin-fe678a",
 "grounded_on": "2026-11-05.1",
 "subjects": [
  "Tomintoul 16 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL",
  "Tomintoul 21 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL"
 ],
 "claims": [
  {
   "item": "Tomintoul 16 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL",
   "kind": "price",
   "value": 132,
   "basis": "member",
   "stockcode": "138281"
  },
  {
   "item": "Tomintoul 21 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL",
   "kind": "price",
   "value": 340,
   "basis": "member",
   "stockcode": "138623"
  }
 ],
 "score": 1300,
 "news": [
  {
   "item": "Tomintoul 21 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL",
   "trigger": "member_offer",
   "pct": 7.9,
   "member": 340,
   "list": 368.99
  }
 ],
 "seed": 2860232713,
 "plan_n": 166,
 "plan_day": "Tue",
 "plan_source": "derived from the article",
 "writer": "claude -p --output-format json",
 "tries": 1,
 "passed_on_try": 1,
 "needs_a_person": false,
 "checks": {
  "required facts": true,
  "no invented reason": true,
  "Australian spelling": true,
  "machine habits": true,
  "proofread": true,
  "reluctance": true,
  "post plan": true,
  "no causal claims": true,
  "invented flavours": true,
  "swap reasons": true,
  "banned words": true,
  "length": true,
  "comparisons": true,
  "numbers traced": true,
  "like for like": true
 },
 "audience": "public",
 "written_by": "model",
 "site_publish_share": false,
 "site_share_pct": 75,
 "verified_at": "2026-11-05T02:21:18.000Z",
 "verified_by": "etl/price_verify.py",
 "verified_prices": {
  "138281": {
   "value": 132,
   "basis": "member"
  },
  "138623": {
   "value": 340,
   "basis": "member"
  }
 },
 "verification_note": "2 price claim(s) verified live",
 "quality_gate": "pass",
 "gated_at": "2026-11-05T02:21:18.000Z",
 "site_publish": false,
 "quality_notes": "new generator: 15 of 15 checks passed"
}

premium over CE 360° · shared scale 0% to +70% across the eleven

Tomintoul 16 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

$180.99list 11-05

CE 360° $161.22 · 10.9% over · #53 of 79 in Speyside

per standard drink $5.98 · #46 of 75 in Speyside

26 pieces · observed

Tomintoul 21 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

$368.99list 11-05

CE 360° $331.42 · 10.2% over · #50 of 79 in Speyside

per standard drink $15.39 · #66 of 75 in Speyside

33 pieces · observed

source file: drafts/2026-11-05-n166-value-pick-tomintoul-16-the-everyday-stand-in-for-tomintoul-21.md