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| Hello, that is one in all our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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January 10, 2022
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I say Tomatin…
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Certainly, one of many jokes we used to love to inform twenty years in the past was going like ‘You say Tomah-tin, I say Tomay-tin… (…) let’s name the entire thing off…’ And we might add ‘as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong used to sing’. Till a younger cat as soon as requested me, ‘I do know Tomatin, however who the h*ll are Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong?’ Harmless youths!
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‘I do not give a rattling about trend!… I take pleasure in Muscat de Rivesaltes!’ (French journal advert, 1987) ->
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Tomatin 2008/2021 (46%, OB, French Assortment, Rivesaltes Cask) 
Greater than only a ending as this child spent three lengthy years (with whisky all years are lengthy) in Rivesaltes wooden, Rivesaltes being a candy ‘vin doux naturel’, the place they cease fermentation to protect some sweetness by including eau-de-vie. In addition they make a muscat de Rivesaltes. Color: gentle gold. Nostril: reasonably bizarrely, I am reminded of some Cognac finishes, as I am discovering reasonably plenty of raisins in addition to preserved peaches and plums. Then one thing a little bit musty (previous cellar, previous barrel), some butter, mashed candy potatoes, purple kuri squash, rooibos tea and hazelnuts. Since some very delicate, innocent Omicron hit me I am discovering extra rooibos in my whiskies. No, actually. Mouth: similar emotions, with a little bit extra sourness from the wooden (they might have a tendency to make use of very previous casks for Rivesaltes however I am unsure that is what’s been used for this ending). Extra raisins, triple-sec, liquorice, with a little bit bitter ale, even Aperol. End: medium, with extra bitters. Oh and rooibos. Seville oranges and a little bit mustard within the aftertaste. Feedback: very high quality, properly made, not as excessive or deviant as I had thought.
SGP:551 – 83 factors. |
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Tomatin Cù Bocan ‘Creation #2’ (46%, OB, Japanese Shochu & European Virgin Oak Casks, 2019)
A really unusual bottle. Appears to be like like this was a full – most likely brief – maturation in these two unlikely woods, ‘an experiment the place the Far East and Europe meet’ in line with the web site. I used to name {that a} evening membership, however there… Color: gentle gold. Nostril: cracked pepper, brake mud, carbon, yogurt, kebab sauce, banana pores and skin. It is truly additionally very a lot on white beer with a twist of lemon and a contact of grapefruit. IPA? Nice nostril, fairly recent. Mouth: I do not fairly know why and for what, or the place these flavours have been coming from, however I am not in opposition to this barely tarry, citrusy, grassy and peppery combo. Touches of iced tea and melon syrup, some sauvignon blanc too. End: medium, reasonably refreshing. A great IPA, actually, and a few sake within the aftertaste. Feedback: the virgin oak by no means actually received in the best way, phew! I am not a fan of the concept however I benefit from the consequence. Higher that than the opposite means ‘spherical, no?
SGP:552 – 84 factors. |
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I feel we’ll add a couple of indies from the packing containers…
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Tomatin 11 yo 2007 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail ‘Discovery’, bourbon, +/-2019)
This wee one ought to be all pure… Color: straw. Nostril: reasonably some recent almonds right here, bitter ones included, melon pores and skin, macaroons, custard, amaretti… All actual high quality. Mouth: extra basic fruity Tomatin, with even echoes of historical vintages (1976, anybody?) on apples, cherries, pears, a little bit tarte tatin, then citrus. Relatively recent, straightforward as anticipated, fairly flawless, taking place extraordinarily properly. Watch these wee drops at 43% vol., for they do nonetheless shelter alcohol! End: medium, clear, recent, half-zesty, the remainder being ripe apples and a little bit sweet sugar. Feedback: an excellent straightforward drop.
SGP:541 – 83 factors. |
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Tomatin 12 yo (46%, Cadenhead, Authentic Assortment, 100% bourbon, 2020) 
Color: straw. Nostril: millimetric citrusy malt whisky. No quibble, no fuss, no complains, malt and limoncello within the glass. Mouth: tarter. Great lemons and limes, maybe a little bit rhubarb too, with a little bit hotness. Lemon tarte with meringue, lemon curd, and yeah, limoncello. I do know I am at all times quoting limoncello, I might assume the Limoncello Affiliation of Italy now owe me the newest Ducati. Signor presidente, please name to make preparations. End: fairly lengthy, with beautiful lemony zing. Feedback: nice high-definition work.
SGP:651 – 86 factors. |
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Tomatin 2015/2020 (50%, Skene, oloroso, 186 bottles)
Color: gentle gold. Nostril: it’s a lot youthful however truly, we’re properly inside the type of that beautiful Cadenhead’s, solely with a little bit extra sherry (walnuts and raisins). All that works fairly properly. Whiffs of leaves and rubber. With water: Belgian waffles, clotted cream, custard, caramel, fudge, demerara sugar. Impeccable, I might nearly name this ‘a shock’. Mouth (neat): superb! Butterscotch and butter cream, cappuccino, raisin rolls, orange cordial, biscuits… Actually superb! Feels just like the cask had seen some charring. With water: and there, as soon as once more it takes water very properly. Walnut wine, mocha, extra raisin rolls, kougelhopf… End: lengthy and again on butterscotch. Earl gray in a while. Feedback: bang, 5 years previous. Somebody’s been doing an important job right here. To whom it might concern, felicitations!
SGP:651 – 87 factors. |
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Tomatin 10 yo 2011/2021 ‘Apollo 12 SCE to AUX’ (56.4%, The Whisky Barrel, 1st fill oloroso, cask #TWB1019, 271 bottles)
The identify refers to some well-known conversations between Apollo 12 and a few NASA engineer. All of it went properly. Color: gold. Nostril: a method fairly just like that of the Skene, stuffed with butterscotch, custard, fudge and pastries. Millionaire shortbread. With water: a little bit heat sawdust popping out however that is all high quality. Additionally mosses, autumn leaves, ‘a stroll within the woods’… Mouth (neat): wonderful work on the cask. Superior citrus and grassy spices (fresh-made curry, maybe a tad loud) over a most candied and fudge-y spirit. Pickled lemons, shortbread, butterscotch, praline. With water: takes water extraordinarily properly. Beautiful oak spices and darker honeys, maybe a contact of varnish End: medium, cleaner and brisker than anticipated. Stolle within the aftertaste. Feedback: beautiful fashionable type, very properly accomplished even when I am unsure anybody would have mentioned ‘Tomatin’. Area calling Earth, “s.u.c.c.e.s.s!”
SGP:651 – 87 factors. |
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Younger Tomatin is a wonderful base malt, you can do nearly something to it. Let’s go on…
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Tomatin 10 yo 2009/2021 (59.9%, Fadandel.dk, 2nd fill oloroso octave end, cask #1837B, 69 bottles)
A wee Sputnik this time… Color: white wine. It was a well-behaved octave. Nostril: extra austere, grassier, extra on peelings, chalk, concrete, inexperienced tea… Touches of aniseed and liquorice at the back of the background, even a little bit pastis, however at 60% vol., something may occur. With water: icing sugar and sugarcane syrup. I am positive one may make a Scottish mojito out of this one. Mouth (neat): I might suppose they did the octave factor for sport as I am not discovering any apparent wooden/sherry influence, reasonably a vibrant, lemony and grassy profile that I reasonably take pleasure in. With water: wonderful, we’re on a stroll with these wee younger ones! End: lengthy, lemony, superb. Feedback: one other very beautiful younger one which’s built-in octave-y oak effortlessly. Wonderful high quality/worth ratio with these wee younger Tomatins.
SGP:551 – 86 factors. |
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We may have many extra children, however… wait, a final one, this intriguing Cadenhead, which we’ll do rapidly since we have some older ones to deal with as properly…
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Tomatin 10 yo 2009/2019 (59.1%, Cadenhead, Chilean purple wine, 294 bottles) 
Chilean purple wine? Nicely I hope it is a typical Chilean wine, why not a kind of Carmenères, as an alternative of one other faceless Bordeaux mix or else. Color: gold. Nostril: adios Chilean purple, that is one other reasonably immaculate younger citrusy Tomatin, with nearly no purple berries in sight. Phew, I used to be about to surprise in regards to the cask’s carbon footprint. With water: we’re nonetheless okay. Some bitter touches, strawberry yoghurt (quite common in some whiskies), dairy cream… Mouth (neat): fairly good, only a tad on the oaky aspect this time. Bitter oak, pine resin, blood oranges… With water: extra gassy spices, tomato leaves, spent lees… Not the prettiest aspect. End: reasonably lengthy, however with notes of previous wooden, oversteeped tea… Feedback: it is a good one, do not get me incorrect, however I am unsure it was actually a love marriage. Hugs to Chile.
SGP:461 – 81 factors. |
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So, we mentioned older ones…
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Tomatin 28 yo 1990/2018 (40.2%, Whiskybroker, refill bourbon barrel, cask #10812, 143 bottles) 
At 40.2, it has been tight. Color: white wine. Nostril: ooh, previous Tomatins, beautiful fruit bombs, liquid fruity and floral salads… Williams pears, lilac, jasmine, purple apples, wisteria, summer season meadows honey, papayas, guavas… There’s just one concern after this most elegant and entrancing nostril, that is that the palate would fall flat. Mouth: not precisely however as soon as once more, it was tight. Very mellow, nearly discreet arrival on acacia honey and mullein syrup, then completely on preserved or tinned fruits, particularly pears, plums and peaches. Some ripe gooseberries too. How elegant! However this time once more, watch these, you can properly down an entire bottle whereas watching a awful Scandinavian mini-series on Netflix. Or a French one for that matter (even worse). End: that is the place it will lose one or three factors, which was to be anticipated. Will get a little bit dry and tea-ish. Let’s transfer on… Feedback: delicate and fragile like an previous portray from the quattrocento. And as charming and treasured.
SGP:531 – 88 factors. |
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Tomatin 21 yo 1999/2020 (52.4%, The Whisky Company, hogshead, 311 bottles)
Color: straw. Nostril: pure orchard fruits with some chalkiness. Apples, inexperienced plums, gooseberries, chalk and plaster, inexperienced melons after which reasonably plenty of eucalyptus and mint leaves. A bit of rustic for Tomatin at 20 yo, maybe. Like, ‘what did you do to the cask? – nothing’.) With water: rubber and leaves popping out. Was it a sherry hogshead? Mouth (neat): tight, vertical, not void of any limoncello-y sweetness, with a little bit barley sugar, pink grapefruits, kiwis, melons and peaches. Superb, naturally (by no means mess with THE company). With water: liquorice lozenges, lemon drops, orange liqueur, cough drugs. Very good. End: medium, creamier, extra syrupy, nearly liqueury. I might say peaches and a little bit mint. All a matter of proportions certainly. Feedback: wonderful, just a bit extra rustic.
SGP:551 – 87 factors. |
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I feel that is ten Tomatins. Tomah-tins? Tomay-tins?
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