
February 19, 2018

Four Tomatin

I’ve heard that in Gaelic, ‘Tomatin’ means ‘joyful fruits’, but my sources aren’t very reliable, so please don’t quote me on that…

Tomatin 6 yo 2009/2015 (52.8%, Duncan Taylor, Dimensions, cask #900016, 844 bottles)

Not a single cask, I suppose. Let’s hope this won’t be pure new make… Colour: white wine. Nose: toasted pastries, malt, vanilla, fudge, then orange candies, slivovitz… Definitely modern, well crafted, pleasant. With water: gets much grassier, but not in a bad way. A little aniseed, which isn’t uncommon in very young spirits. Mouth (neat): very eau-de-vie-ish. New kirsch and again, slivovitz, williams pears... Not quite new make anymore, but I wouldn’t call it mature. Transitional malt whisky, I would say. With water: same. Pear juice. Finish: medium, rather fresh, with some saccharin. Rather a feeling of saccharin. Comments: frankly, it’s good, fresh, fruity… And very interesting if anyone would like to check how good malt whisky tastes when still very young (and not oak/wine-doped).
SGP:641 - 79 points.

Tomatin 2007/2017 (58.5%, Gordon & MacPhail, Cask Strength, casks # casks 4920, 4921, 4922)

Yes we’ve tried quite a lot of whiskies from this series lately, but I have to say many have been really impressive, so I’m happy to go on. And we all know that small batches (2-5 casks) can be superior to single casks… Colour: straw. Nose: some walnut cake straight from a professional oven, plus all things orange-y, then many citrus fruits, with an amazing freshness. Tangerines direct from the tree, also guavas and mangos, which reminds me of older vintages. Perfect. With water: citrus peel all over the place. Mouth (neat): oh good! Citrus and acacia honey, then a green oakiness that works very well in this context. Green earl grey tea, croissants, scones. Is it five-o’clock yet? With water: more of all that, with a lovely orange-y freshness. Swims very well. Finish: medium, and always very orange-y. One drop of Southern Comfort in the aftertaste, but no worries… Comments: smashing. Who’s blending the casks these days, at G&M’s?
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Tomatin 23 yo 1994/2018 (47.4%, Cadenhead, Sherry Cask, sherry hogshead, 234 bottles)

A +/- two years finishing in a sherry hogshead. Colour: gold. Nose: walnuts, old wood, hints of acetone (nothing excessive), whiffs of manure, old cigars, fermenting hay, musty cellar, old barrlques… Do I find this nice? You bet, love it! Mouth: who was the sorcerer? Some kind of Cuban cigar dipped into marmalade and then rum, and then lit up. There’s something a wee tad unlikely here, but it just works. Gets more peppery after a few seconds. Proper pepper and Szechuan pepper. Finish: only the finish is a tad below par, getting a little too leafy for me. Just a little… Comments: I was a bit scared, but while the palate was good-not-great, the nose was really superb.
SGP:461 - 85 points.

Tomatin 1983/2017 (44.6%, OB for Quaich Bar Singapore, hogshead, cask #14192, 158 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: as expected, this oldie bursts with sour fruits, mangos, passion fruits, grapefruits… It is a fact that Tomatin lost its tropicalness quite some years ago, but each and every time we’re trying one of these older casks, well, it’s a thrill. Mangos tend to take over the whole range, but that’s all for the better. In the background, hints of toasted brioche, drops of maple syrup, and very funny hints of strawberry yoghurt. Superb nose nonetheless. Mouth: perfect, complex, extremely tropical again (passion fruits and mangos are really running and ruling the show), with a wee buttery side, hints of Noilly, and this perfect savoury sourness that’s usually rather to be found in the greatest Belgian beers. Shall we mention umami? Totally delicious. Finish: perhaps a little less entrancing, and that’s the old oak that’s fighting back. Only solution, drink a lot and never get to the finish. You didn’t read that here. Comments: fantastic nose and palate, and a finish that’s just a wee tad more difficult, but that’s the fate of many a very old whisky. Mind you, this baby’s almost 35!
SGP:751 - 90 points.

(Thank you Benjamin!)

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