
February 2, 2017

Two 21 years old Tobermory

Tobermory? Let’s be honest, their peated version, Ledaig, is really stealing the show these days. But their regular juice, well… Having said that, in the news, the distillery will be closed for two years while they’re upgrading it!

Tobermory 21 yo 1994/2015 (51.5%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, cask #DL10950, 306 bottles)

Shall we find a mashy/porridgy profile? Colour: white wine. Nose: you bet, this is pure porridge and mashed Jerusalem artichokes matured in stoneware. You may add concentrated lemon juice and drops of grape pips oil, while the whole’s getting even more acetic. With water: cardboard and new plastic pouch (you can’t find them in France anymore, but I still remember them). Mouth (neat): a surprisingly creamy and even syrupy arrival, but it’s soon to become bitter, extremely herbal, and I cannot not think of that thing called Underberg, that my uncles used to down after any serious Sunday meal. With water: mashed turnips, salted. And sugar syrup. Finish: quite long and rather lemony, but a feinty side remains there. Comments: interesting for sure - I'm glad they bottled this - and probably challenging. Drinkable, though, but drop by drop, for educational purposes. Or for the record! SGP:262 - 71 points.

Tobermory 21 yo 1995/2016 (53.8%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, 246 bottles)

Let’s see if the skilled people in Campbeltown will manage to clear this hurdle… Colour: straw. Nose: where’s the plastic? The turnips? The mashed potatoes? The feints? This one seems to be rather approachable, ‘normal’ in a way, earthy, medicinal (tincture of iodine), with some freshly broken wood, apple peeling, mushrooms? This is intriguing, it’s certainly cleaner than the average Tobermory… With water: smoked ink, I’d say. Saltpetre and carbon paper. Mouth (neat): yeah, it’s Ledaig. Or a blend of Ledaig with Tobermory, or something. A salty/peaty tang, lemons, seawater, ink, grapefruits, chillies, ashes… Yeah yeah yeah… With water: very good, peaty. Slightly peatier than Talisker 10, to give you an idea. Finish: quite long, and very salty. Comments: yeah next time I’ll bottle some Brora 1972 and call it The Claymore! That’ll be commercially suicidal of course, but at least we’ll have some fun. Yeah, Tobermory, right… SGP:356 - 88 points.

PS: indeed, quite a few Ledaigs have been named Tobermory in the past, this is not a first.

Check the index of all Tobermory I've tasted so far