Tomatin 12 Year Old

For our next stop on this adventure through the world of whisky, we set our sights on Tomatin 12. A Highland single malt from a distillery that has spent much of its history providing whisky for blends. Only relatively recently (since around 2000) has the distillery switched some of its focus to growing its single malts such as this one.

Bottle

Any reader of my reviews will know that my favourite style of whisky bottle is slightly short, sturdy or squat and robust (similar to the Aberlour bottles). Whilst the style of the Tomatin 12 bottle fulfils some of these criteria the curvaceous style just doesn’t quite hit the mark for me. The bottle also boasts a distinctive transparent label allowing more view of the liquid itself, something I usually appreciate. However in this case the label is more reminiscent of a mouthwash than a classy scotch whisky. The embossed head on top of the cork is a nice, interesting touch though.

Colour

Pouring a dram reveals a warm amber hue, a visual nod to the short time spent in sherry casks towards the end of its maturation. The colour signals a balance between the vanilla sweetness from the Bourbon casks and the rich, fruity influence of the Sherry casks. Let’s see if that holds true.

Nose - this dram welcomes you with a gentle embrace of orchard fruits - think ripe apples and pears - layered with a subtle vanilla sweetness. There's a hint of maltiness, reminiscent of a stroll past a countryside distillery, evoking the very essence of its Highland origins. A delicate, pleasant and fairly standard nose.

Palate - As you would expect from a long maturation in ex-bourbon barrels, the strongest flavour is oaky vanilla. However, there are some interesting flavours that emerge - a hint of citrus zest and a little herb-iness, possible cut grass or even some punch from fresh ginger.

Finish - The vanilla fades before the citrus and herbs/spices leaving a sharp flavour in the mouth.

Overall

This is Tomatin’s core whisky and like many of its peers deliver’s on all the basics - smooth in the mouth from the ex-bourbon barrels with some interesting, but not exuberant, additional flavours. Priced at just under £40 in the UK I think there are better options, like my favourite Aberlour 12, but this is no doubt someone else’s favourite in this price range and who am I to say otherwise. Not a bottle I expect to buy again in a rush but one I will enjoy nonetheless.

Available from Master of Malt for around £38, or check price and availability at Amazon