Tomatin
- OWNER: TAKARA SHUZO
- FOUNDED: 1897
- REGION: HIGHLANDS
- PRONUNCIATION: Toe-MAH-tin
At one time Tomatin was the largest distillery in Scotland, with an impressive twenty-three stills up until the early 1970s. Now it is down to twelve, but it still produces a respectable 5 million liters a year. It was the first distillery to be bought by a Japanese firm, in 1986. The whisky has always been popular with blenders, and it is only in recent years that a wide range of official single malts have hit the market. Following the trend of peated Speysiders, Tomatin released Cù Bòcan in 2013.
Tomatin
Dualchas
Aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and virgin oak casks. Pronounced DOOL-kass.
- PRICE $ · RATING
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 43%
- NOSE Lemon tea, pineapple, vanilla, red apples, and Italian herbs; water merely mutes it.
- PALATE Vanilla, a bit of woodiness, nutmeg, pineapple, lemon, pine; water thins it out significantly, but adds a floral note. The finish is dry, sharp, and slightly smoky.
- GENERAL A solid dram for the price, and more interesting than you’d expect. It wears the American oak influence on its sleeve, and is more complex and interesting for it.
Aged 12 Years
Previously bottled at a disappointing 80 proof, this whisky, partially aged in sherry casks, got a big bump up in proof and quality with its 2010 relaunch.
- PRICE $ · RATING
- AGE 12 years old
- ALC/VOL 43%
- NOSE Buttered popcorn, white raisins, pineapple, and candied apple, but not much sherry to speak of, even after adding water.
- PALATE Here’s the sherry: coconut, toffee, figs, cherries, malt, and dried apricots; water amplifies the sherry and fruit notes. The finish is quick and dry.
- GENERAL Superficial, but well priced, and with some decent fruit action. Just don’t expect a lot of sherry.
Tomatin
Aged 14 Years
This whisky spends 13 years in ex-bourbon barrels, and then about a year in tawny port pipes.
- PRICE $$ · RATING
- AGE 14 years old
- ALC/VOL 46%
- NOSE Butyric funk, mushrooms, blackberry jam, vanilla, caramel chews, maple syrup, and chewing gum; it calms down with water, bringing out red wine and baking spices.
- PALATE Chewy, woody, and foresty; there’s sweet heat up front, then the heat dies down and milk chocolate and cherry bubblegum take over. Water makes it sweeter—chewing gum, caramel, and white wine. The finish is long and hot.
- GENERAL The initial funk on the nose clears up after a few minutes, letting the chocolate and berry notes shine through.
Aged 15 Years
Exclusively matured in ex-bourbon casks, a rarity for Tomatin.
- PRICE $$ · RATING
- AGE 15 years old
- ALC/VOL 43%
- NOSE Green apple candy, Anjou pear, vanilla bean, Nerds, and toasted wood; it pops with water, evoking herbs, pencil shavings, figs, and grain.
- PALATE Thick and juicy, with dark fruit candy, oak, and a bit of clover honey; it mellows with water, which brings out bubblegum and sweet malt. The finish leaves a lingering sweetness and a touch of spicy pepper.
- GENERAL Delicious. So much going on, and worth exploring at length. Just a year older than the 14 Year Old, but a mile above in quality.
Tomatin
Aged 18 Years
Aged in ex-bourbon barrels, then finished in oloroso sherry casks.
- PRICE $$ · RATING
- AGE 18 years old
- ALC/VOL 46%
- NOSE Ginger, cola, candied lemon, raisins, cloves, sweet smoke, and hay; water adds orange zest.
- PALATE Sweet sherry up front, then cinnamon sugar, rum raisins, prunes, and dried apricots; the finish is dry, with lingering pepper and sherry notes.
- GENERAL A bit heavy on the sherry, but still a right tasty dram. Don’t add water.
Cù Bòcan
According to local lore, a spectral hound called Cù Bòcan has wandered the woods surrounding the village of Tomatin for centuries. It’s only fitting that the name of a hellhound should grace the distillery’s peated release, which is made for one week a year and aged in a mix of first-fill ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and virgin oak casks.
- PRICE $$ · RATING
- AGE No age statement
- ALC/VOL 46%
- NOSE Estery and floral, with toasted seeds, apple brandy, banana pudding, Juicy Fruit, and a meaty smokiness; water opens it up with baking spices, watermelon candy, leather, and bacon, and, over time, chocolate, butter, and vanilla.
- PALATE Spicy, sweet, and a bit chewy up front, with slight smoke, giving way to spearmint, wood chips, vanilla, and tangerine; it thins out with water, revealing ginger, berries, juniper, and smoldering fire. The finish is long and quite tannic.
- GENERAL A nice, moderately smoky alternative to Speyside, without getting all Islay.