Tomatin - a "must have" whisky for the liquor cabinet
Tomatin distillery is a very old distillery known for their smooth, rounded and slightly sweet whiskies and is an absolute must have for the bar cabinet at home. We both have an open bottle sitting at home, ready to offer to guests who come over and enjoy a good dram. This time we had the pleasure of tasting a 13 year cask sample of 58.2% which has been finished in a refill PX sherry cask from the bottler Lady of the Glen. This dram, like many others from this particular distillery, is a pleasure to drink. But a distillery with more than 100 years of history and experience, it is expected that they know what they are doing :)
The distillery dates back to 1897, when founder John Mac Dougall started the distillery. However, it was short-lived, as he had to close the distillery again in 1906. Fortunately, it was quickly bought by some experienced wine and spirit merchants and the distillery reopened in 1909. From here, the distillery began distilling in large quantities up to 225,000 L of alcohol annually! Since then, whisky production has been high at this distillery and it was over 75 years before the distillery closed again in 1985, just as many other distilleries closed at this time. Unlike other distilleries that closed during this period due to inefficiency and outdated technology, the Tomatin distillery was actually the largest and most efficient distillery in Scotland, using the latest technology in whisky production.
This cask sample bottling from independent whisky merchant, Lady of the Glen, is in many ways reminiscent of a classic whisky from Tomatin. In the glass, it has a golden color reminiscent of light amber. The nose offers aromas of dried fruits, apricot, sherry and a hint of vanilla and oak. In addition, there is a slightly spicy aroma. It is almost impossible to tell that this is a cask strength whisky.
On the tongue, there is a warm and tingling sensation from the alcohol and otherwise a very well-balanced whisky. Lovely flavor notes of a sherry and plum sweetness with hints of vanilla emerging and a slightly spicy nuance as in the aroma. Like all cask strength whiskies, a few drops of water take away the spike that the strength of the alcohol gives, and in this bottling the notes of vanilla come through more strongly. On the finish, we can sit back with the aforementioned fruit sweetness from the plums and sherry, but also a nutty aftertaste that fits nicely with the fruity notes.
To get back to the history of the distillery and how it is today - because it obviously didn't close completely, back in 1985 :).... Unlike the first time the distillery closed, this time it took even less time to reopen. Precisely because the distillery was one of the largest and most efficient distilleries, it was quickly acquired. This happened already in February 1986 by two Japanese companies; Takara Shuzo and Okura & co, where Takara Shuza is still the largest shareholder to this day.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the distillery has changed focus and started experimenting with peated whisky, which differs from their roots of soft rounded, sweet and easy-drinking whisky. They have also begun to challenge the classic oak or sherry cask and are now using unique casks to create different and exciting whiskies. For example, cognac, rum, sauterne, monbazillac and more, which can be found on whisky.dk's website. We can't wait to see what Tomatin develops into with their exciting new direction in whisky.
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