December 7, 2015

Some stunning Tomatin

These days there are distillers and brands that are moving away from the consumers, by being less transparent and more arrogant than ever, whilst other brands seem to be taking the opposite direction. The latest example of the latter trend is Tomatin in my opinion, as could be seen in the open letter they just published on their Website, asking to be allowed to be transparent regarding their vattings, especially their NAS expressions. It’s a smart move that already generates more consumer goodwill, and rightly so! Let’s just hope there will be more such brands, and that the SWA and other official bodies and lobbies will agree to discuss these matters. But let’s not dream, the bigger boys won’t like to lose their main excuse for not disclosing the actual ages of their new ultra-young oak-doped concoctions… Anyway, let’s celebrate Tomatin!...

Tomatin 12 yo 'French Oak' (46%, OB, 2014)

Matured in bourbon for 9 years and finished for 3 years in French oak wine casks that have been scratched and charred. I’d rather call that double-maturation! Colour: gold. Nose: this is unusual, I rather get coffee beans and tapioca, before more sawdust, chocolate, and autumn leaves kick in. I find this very dry, but that’s not totally unpleasant. Mouth: Tomatin’s fruity brightness seems to be staying in the background, while many spices get louder. Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cocoa powder, almonds… Now there are oranges as well, and perhaps a little tamarind. Good body. Finish: medium, always on cinnamon and other dry spices. Perhaps gooseberries in the aftertaste. Comments: an interesting game, between the spirit’s fruits and the oak’s rather dry and spicy influence. SGP:451 - 81 points.

Tomatin 14 yo 'Port Wood Finish' (46%, OB, +/-2015)

Finished in Port for one year. Yeah yeah, Port. Now while I don’t like what Port and big-bodied and peaty malts do together, I guess lighter, fruitier malts may stand that treatment better, let’s see… Colour: gold. Nose: I instantly remember some Balvenies ‘Portwood’. Butterscotch and blackcurrant jam, roasted peanuts, blood oranges, marzipan, a little caramel and toffee, some dry honey (chestnut-style)… And perhaps drops of young cognac. This seems to work. Mouth: indeed, it works. Spicy blackcurrants, stewed oranges, peaches, and apples, then some pepper and some caraway, then a chunk of cinnamon cake. Finish: quite long, rather spicier. Spicy Christmas cake (not the heavy black ones), bitter chocolate and coffee, more blood oranges. Gingerbread. Comments: these expressions will always remain variants, but I find this baby extremely well-made, even if it’s not quite my style. SGP:551 - 84 points.

Tomatin 9 yo 2006/2015 (55.7%, Single Cask Collection, bourbon barrel, cask #726, 253 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: this one ain’t easy. I find some varnish, then cellulose, then plenty of grass, bark, carbon paper... Not sure it’s meant to be enjoyed when undiluted. With water: indeed, this is the best use of water. Green apples and lemon juices, a touch of mango, a touch of papaya. This is Tomatin as we know – and live it. Mouth (neat): powerful, fruitier, and brighter. Lemons and roots, chalk, grass, perhaps chillies (but rest assured, that’s not quite bird’s eye chilli!)… With water: a fruity one indeed. An all-fruit salad topped with some honey sauce. Finish: medium, a little rounder and more honeyed. Comments: water is mandatory here! SGP:551 (when diluted) - 82 points.

Tomatin 36 yo 1977/2015 'Rare Casks - Batch 1' (46%, OB, casks #48 & 30142, 798 bottles)

They priced this one rather fairly, despite the age, the decanter, and the large wooden box. That’s £450. Colour: gold. Nose: old Tomatin with flying colours and bursting fruits and honeys. Exceptional oranges topped with olive oil and honey, some fresh mint, hints of old roses, precious woods, mangos, skincare… And in the background, these earthy touches that we enjoy so much. Fantastic nose! Mouth: a superlative brightness, some stunning honey, an unusual earthy/mushroomy side, plenty of mangos, and a good deal of maracuja. Oh and oranges again. It’s one of these easy and bright, yet very complex and refined old Tomatins. Finish: medium long, on the same notes, with some unexpected bacon in the aftertaste. Sherry? Comments: very dangerous whisky, for it goes down so easily and brightly. Really worth buying at this price. SGP:751 - 93 points.

I wanted to stop here but that fantastic 1977 pushes me a bit… Let’s try to find an older bottle for the road…

Tomatin 34 yo 1976/2011 (51.9%, The Whisky Agency, Perfect Dram, sherry wood, 396 bottles)

Colour: dark gold. Nose: almost the same whisky, with just a little more Demerara sugar and a generally rounder profile. Marmalade, honey, guavas, mangos, raisins, passion fruits, bananas, pollen… With water: even closer. Blond tobacco. Mouth (neat): indeed, this is just more powerful than the OB, so a tad harsher and more pungent, but all the rest is very similar. Fruit salad, honey, oranges, touches of earth, all that. With water: oranges everywhere, plus honey, mint leaves, pollen, mangos… Extremely good. A perfect dram indeed. Finish: medium long, fresh and fruity, with moderate sherry influence. Comments: another one that’s dangerously drinkable. The official 1977 is just a notch more saline and mineral, and a tad more complex, hence my higher score. What a glory, that one, certainly one of the stars of 2015 (together with Crown Royal Rye – of course I’m joking). SGP:751 - 92 points.

Oh well, we could as well have a last one that was distilled even before, but bottled at a much younger age. This should be interesting…

Tomatin 19 yo 1974/1995 (43%, The Cooper's Choice, for VA.MA. Italy)

I’ve always loved this old label by the Vintage Malt Whisky Co.! Colour: white wine. Nose: this goes to show – once again - that the old Tomatin’s ‘tropical’ style does not come from long ageing, since it appears that it was there as well in younger bottlings. Mangos, mint, papayas, oranges, light honey, these touches of earth, cigarettes, old papers, a small piece of candle wax… It’s true that the 43% feel, but this is not weak at all and the older, stronger ones never manage to bury it. Mouth: so good, so good… Oranges, white grapes, citrons, lemongrass, passion fruits, sauvignon blanc, tangerines, kiwis… And this time, it does feel like 45% vol. Finish: quite long! And once again, a touch of earth comes through, all for the better. Comments: it’s one of these exceptional bottles that we had in France in Italy in the mid to late 1990s, both by Cooper’s Choice and Dun Eideann. Sob sob sob… SGP:651 - 91 points (really!)

(and gracias, Tom!)