Sample Bottle

 

 

Tomatin 30yo (43%, Classic Cask, +/- 2005)

A single cask bottling for “The Classic Cask” and imported into the USA by Spirit Imports which are the same nice people who operate the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America. The nose is spirity at first but this quickly evolves a very nicely fragrant collection of aromas; heather, roses and some light pine. Then there is a good back ground of resin, coffee grounds (cold & not espresso but American standard or institutional grind), there’s also some good oak spice and vanilla. After 30 years the oak has not dominated the aroma. The taste is vibrant, spicy and solid with some good wood notes from the oak contributing very well to the taste. There is also some tinned tree fruit and toffee but the later is merely an accompaniment rather than dominant. The spice is really very nice and there is something akin to mildly smoked ham or even smoke honey. In any case it helps out nicely. The finish is spicy, fruity and long and after a short while some really excellent cocoa and malt comes crashing to the fore.

What an excellent dram! The down side of single cask bottlings; there’s only a finite quantity available.

$225

89 points.

The fourth in series of Scotch whisky reviews this week that feature samples from 24 years of age to 41 years of age.