Malts of Scotland Tomatin Tasting Notes

Bourbon Cask – MOS14026

Dist: Dec 1988 Btl: Jun 2014/ Tasted: Nov 2014

The aromas are little cardboardy initially with barley, malt and spice. In fact it becomes very malty, but with time  the treacle and dark toffee oak notes begins to emerge and eventually dominate.

The palate is pleasantly spicy but those spices have a little musty quality. Hints of barley, malt and violets follow. Like the nose the palate darkens as the treacle comes through on the middle. It has a better balance than the nose as some peppery spices offset the sweetness. Tongue tinglingly spicy finish, which is a little too dry and  too bitter.

Edition Spirits Tomatin Tasting Notes

Edition Spirits ‘The First Editions’ Tomatin 1994 (22 year old) 47.4%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: EDI0220/ HL13275

Dist: May 1994 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

A fragrant and floral nose with buttercup, hyacinth and an almost salty freshness. Hints of vanilla, gooseberry, green apple, mat and scented/ dusty American oak.

The palate is full and barley’d. Slightly malty and citric with a sliver of honey and hints of straw and gritty oak tannins. Darkens on the middle as the malt, treacle and baked fruit emerge. Lovely depth with a long, gently spiced finish which shows a little drying tannins but those are balanced by the malt and sweet honey.

Edition Spirits ‘The First Edition’ Tomatin 1994 (23 year old) 46.1%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: EDI0398/ HL15287

Dist: Dec 1994 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Sept 2018

An intense and barley’d nose with honey and coffee. The nose is pleasantly natural with a controlled rawness. With time hints of lime, kiwi, cucumber, heather and earth appear.

The palate displays the same barley intensity with a touch of granite and wonderfully soft honey and oak. Again there is a controlled rawness which adds an edgy counterpoint to the barley, oak and honey. Hints of lime, kiwi and chocolate come through on the middle. Long with a touch of oxidised Cognac-esque apple and a lightly herbal after-taste.

Edition Spirits ‘The First Edition’ Tomatin 1994 (25 year old) 47.9%

Sherry Finished/ Code: EDI0637

Dist: Dec 1994 Btl: 2021/ Tasted: Feb 2021

A stunningly mature nose. Sawdusty and Cognac-esque with sweet, dried apple, pear, apricot and sweet, toasty oak. Elegant and poised with hints of brandy butter, cinnamon, and pepper. a lovely seam of lime runs through it. Late marzipan and melba toast.

The palate opens with a quick blast of citrus (lime and lemon) before the beautifully mature malt, baked apple and apricot appears. dark and toasty oak follows and I have to say that the depth and complexity ius stunning. The finish is a little austere as the citrus and minerals come through but the toasty oak underpins and a little juicy fruit appears to offset the citrus. Damn, that’s good!

Claxton’s Tomatin Tasting Notes

Claxton’s The Single Cask Tomatin 1994 (21 year old) 48%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead 1503-11247

Dist: Oct 1994 Btl: 2015/ Tasted: Apr 2016

Aromas of dusty barley and dark wood spices. Lightly scrubby and herbal with a touch of heather and honey. Showing a delicate baked fruit maturity along with a touch of vanilla.

Mature, baked fruit to begin with on the palate, followed by vanilla, barley and developing, freshening citrus notes. The dark spices come through on the middle and the finish is long with a lovely combination of mouth-wateringly crisp barley and soft, creamy oak. Vibrant and wonderfully balanced.

Hunter Laing Tomatin Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Tomatin 1994 (20 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2452/ HL11143

Dist: Oct 1994 Btl: Dec 2014/ Tasted: Feb 2015

Dusty and spicy, nutmeg and ginger with hints of honey, melon, granulated sugar and sawdusty oak. The aromas freshen with time as hints of lime and green apple come through.

The creamy vanilla oak on the palate blunts the fruitiness of the nose, but there still a touch of melon, honey and lightly herbal spice. The spice really kicks in on the finish although it’s a tad on the dry side. The oak has overwhelmed the spirit a bit too much but it hasn’t bittered though.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Tomatin 1995 (21 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2645/ HL13268

Dist: Dec 1995 Btl: Feb 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

Lovely aromas of mature, sawduty American oak and fragrant honey. Followed by layers of barley and subtle fruit – apricot, tangerine and greengage.Lightly floral with time.

The palate is full and barley’d with straw, earth and gorgeously sweet tangerine, balanced by lemon and mineral notes. The oak is relatively subtle and again wonderfully mature. Stunning, vibrant, mouth-watering, citric finale, displaying both sweet citrus and sharp citrus character, along with barley and oak. Now, that’s impressive!

James MacArthur Tomatin Tasting Notes

James MacArthur Old Masters ‘Cask Strength Selection’ Tomatin 1997 (16 year old) 56.4%

Bourbon Cask 5959/ Dist: 1997 Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Dec 2014

The nose displays a lovely intensity of malt, coffee grains and straw. Those sharp grains go head to head with the treacly malt, with neither coming out on top. Fresh and fairly herbal. A powerfully, natural nose.

The palate opens with the herbal and juicy barley with hints of malt, earth and coffee. A little mushroomy and loamy on the middle. Long, malty and juicy fruit finish with a touch of marzipan oak. It’s sort of Tomatin in the raw!

Dilution emphasises the malt and brings out a delightful, light, floral honey note along with some barley and luscious juicy orange. Ooooh it’s really succulent and juicy now! The palate is equally as moist and juicy, but it still retains that earthy, loamy character. Seriously juicy finish with some mature wood notes coming through along with the malt.

Hart Brothers Tomatin Tasting Notes

Hart Brothers ‘Finest Collection’ Tomatin 1965 (37 year old) 43%

Sherry/ Dist: Nov 1965 Btl: May 2003/ Tasted: May 2005

A light, aromatic malt. Fruity with hints of ginger, dark chocolate, dried fruit, raisins and sultanas. On the palate it is distinctly Christmas pudding like. Full of rich, spiced fruit with a smooth chocolatey feel. Very long and complex.

Gordon & MacPhail Tomatin Tasting Notes

Gordon & MacPhail Discovery Range Tomatin 2008 (10 year old) 43%

Bourbon/ Tasted: Aug 2019

A nose of waxy apple, barley, lime and subtle but gritty American oak. Hints of vanilla, straw and pecan nut follow.

The palate is fuller and shows more creamy oak and toffee. Relatively straightforward but deep with barley and lime notes on the middle. Good citric finish with lingering malt, straw and minerals.

Gordon & MacPhail Discovery Range Tomatin 2009 (12 year old?) 43%

Bourbon/ Dist: 2009 Btl: 2021/ Tasted: May 2022

A fresh, citric and slightly herbal nose with taught barley and hints of vanilla, lemon and late sweeter barley notes.

The palate is fuller and richer, showing more vanilla oak. Soft and juicy with barley, white fruit, apricot and citrus on the middle. Lovely balance and depth. Long, vanilla, citurs and barley finish with a pleasant white chocolate after-taste.

Gordon & MacPhail ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ Tomatin 1988 (22 year old) 43%

Refill American Hogshead/ Dist: 1988 Btl: June 2010/ Tasted: June 2011

A beautiful fragrant nose, liberally imbued with pure cracked black pepper, light oily honey shot through with barley and displaying a lovely maturity to honeyed aromas.  With time some rather good, juicy fruit and integrated oak become apparent and it becomes quite malty and really fills out. 

The palate is soft and juicy with a gorgeous complexity of light honey and granity notes. It has a lovely, soft maturity which gently builds and fills the mouth with plenty of malt and barley. That pepper arrives on the middle with a serious intensity and lingers right through to the finish where some lovely, light orange notes appear.

Duncan Taylor Tomatin Tasting Notes

Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Tomatin 1991 (18 year old) 55.9%

Bourbon Cask 14193

Dist: Jun 1991 Btl: Sept 2009/ Tasted: Oct 2009

A lovely, dense and earthy nose, with maturing honey along with a slight floral top note and some sweet spices. Finally the oak puts in an appearance adding a buttery note to balance the citrus. Soft and deliciously fruity on the palate, apricots wrapped in wood spices plus crisp white pear and a hint of elderflower. The alcohol is piquant and after it subsides it leaves a very distinctive hoppy/ leafy/hemp note. A lovely not too sweet finish which fades into a light coffee-malt after taste. 

A drop of water really ramps up the floral aromas and a slight violet note is discernable. The fruit has become lovely and juicy with orange, tangerine and grapefruit. On the palate it removes the oak interaction, however it sits at the back of the tongue. It’s still very herbal but some gristy spices appear as does that violet note, which intensifies towards the finish. 

Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Tomatin 1965 (40 year old) 47.6%

Bourbon cask 1903

Dist: Jan 1965 Btl: Jan 2005/ Tasted: Nov 2005

A deep, complex nose, full of dried fruit, nuts, lanolin, wax polish, wood oil and oodles of ginger spiced fruit cake.

Medium-full bodied, very soft and succulent with rich, moist fruit cake, ginger, raisins. Very long with the bourbon oak coming through on the finish.

Douglas Laing Tomatin Tasting Notes

Douglas Laing Old Particular Tomatin 1993 (20 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLP0037/ DL9984

Dist: Jan 1993 Btl: Aug 2013/ Tasted: Sept 2013

Quite a dusty nose with a touch of burnt caramel. Fairly edgy, displaying a little herbal sprit note with hints of fragrant summer fruit and barley along with a touch of earth and toffee.

The palate opens with some dusty, almost gristy barley and honey. Pleasantly mature with hints of fleshy fruit, malt and dark toffee. Good length but it’s getting on a little as the slight herbal spirit note on the finish confirms. Quite a woody after-taste as well.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Tomatin 1994 (20 year old) 46.8%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0147/ DL10442/ Dist: 1994 Btl: Aug 2014/  Tasted: Sept 2014

A good nose of mature white fruit, straw and light herbal honey. Edgy citrus, gooseberry, lime and cucumber freshens along with a light mineraly. Gently aromatic with a touch of lightly creamy toffee’d oak.

The palate opens with moist straw-like white fruit, apricot and a touch of toffee. Mineral laced apple, gooseberry and barley come through on the middle along with mature honey and oak. Long with the green fruit and citrus lingering with a touch of boiled sweets and dusty tannins.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Tomatin 1994 (20 year old) 46.8%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0147/ DL10442/ Dist: 1994 Btl: Aug 2014/  Re-Tasted: Dec 2014

A ferny and peppery nose with a touch of coffee and mature, lightly sawdusty oak. The fruit is quite mature and a little baked in character but it still retains some trademark juiciness.

Soft and malty on the palate with baked fruit and earth. Pleasantly dense with building woody spice on the middle. Good length with lingering baked fruit, malt and herbal woody notes. Not quite as complex as the nose would suggest but pleasant nevertheless.

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Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Tomatin 1990 (21 year old) 50%

Bourbon/ Code: OMC2138/ DL7967

Dist: May 1990 Btl: Jan 2012/ Tasted: Jan 2012

The nose is quite full and sweetly spiced with plenty of rich barley fruit and creamy oak along with hints of mentholated herbs.

The palate is mellow and rich, opening with the softly spiced, herbal accented, fleshy fruit along with a touch of citrus and honey. The alcohol is pretty intrusive but does carry a wave of spices, whilst the oak sits in the background. The finish is a bit hot but there are some fresh citrus notes.

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Tomatin 1970 (40 year old) 44.3%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2060/ DL7273

Dist: Dec 1970 Btl: May 2011/ Tasted: July 2011

The nose opens with sour cherry and citrus infused with edgy granity mature honey. Beautifully mellow and liberally sprinkled with castor sugar is the barley, all backed by some supporting oak. With time it starts to become very sugared and I have to say that the spirit is really showing its age now as it becomes quite spirity with hints of pine resin and glue. The honey fights to stay dominant but it’s having a tough old time and the longer it’s in the glass the more it feels like it’s starting to break up. Maybe I’m being unduly harsh but after tasting the distillery bottled 30 year old and decades bottlings I have to say that it’s really not worth its £125 price tag. I mean for that sort of money it has to be 100% spot on and sadly this isn’t quite there.

The palate is soft, opening with the sweetly spiced fruit – sultana and prune. Although this is wonderfully gentle the sugar and tannins kick in on the middle. The honey does its best to hold those tannins at bay but its struggling. There are some lovely straw and barley notes emerging however. The oak although quite tannic is showing some gorgeously mature vanillins and I’m really torn as the palate isn’t showing the degradation that the nose is. Ultimately though I’m going to have to let this one go.

Dewar Rattray Tomatin Tasting Notes

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Tomatin 1988 (20 year old) 55.4%

Refill Sherry cask 1087

Dist: Jun 1988 Btl: Mar 2008/ Tasted: Apr 2009

Would you believe it? Another bottling that caused my hand written tasting notes to fill an entire page! Mind you I must have written ‘wow!’ a dozen or so times! 

Huge, enveloping aromas of delicate re-fill sherry along with lashings of spiced dates, mature honey and walnuts. It then descends into a stunning moist fruitcake depth. Wow! (sorry had to leave at least one in!) We’re not finished yet as hints of vanilla, smoke and scented flowers drift by. Very, very complex with an abundance of honey to die for. The balance is superb. The sherry only lays a supporting role (as it should). Finally there is a late malty/earthy/rose petal intimation. 

Like the nose the sherry begins this journey along with a fair degree of wood tannins. Then it’s off. Juicy, liquid honey and moist fruitcake flavour proliferate along with dates, walnuts and liquorice. The alcohol briefly halts the procession but it is quickly swamped. Amazing earthy maturity, amazing length, amazing whisky!

A little drop of water emphasises the gorgeous liquid honeyed fruit, the sherryaromas retreat and form a lovely backdrop. Stunning! It also brings out some leafy-herbal, mint and menthol along with coffee ice cream. On the palate it becomes a morass of honeyed dried fruits, figs, raisins sultanas and malt. Again the sherry supports. Stunning length with a piquant finish and even a hint of smoke and the most crumbliest spices imaginable, absolutely divine!! ……… Wow!! 

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Tomatin 1988 (21 year old) 55.2%

Sherry Cask 1088

Dist: Jun 1988 Btl: Apr 2010/ Tasted: Aug 2010

A dense, mellow Amontillado lead nose. There’s plenty of dried fruit (apricot, figs, sultanas) nuts and a hint of perfumed orange fruit. Slightly coastal with hints of liquorice and earth. Over time it develops a candied note. 

The palate opens with the dense, Amontillado dried fruits, coffee and liquorice. A bit herbal and slightly tannic but very mouth filling. The alcohol bites allowing the sumptuous liquid orange fruit coat the tongue and linger. 

With water the nose is stunning. Now it has unfettered itself from the cask the beautifully perfumed honeyed orange fruit really comes out to play, accented by the dried fruit rancio. The palate is much the same with a superb dry spice finish.