Tobermory 20 Years Old 1995 Cask #4 (Murray McDavid)

Bottled by Murray McDavid, this Tobermory matured to 20 year old from 1995, drawn from cask 4 and bottled at 46%. The outturn was 357 bottles. Made on the Isle of Mull, Tobermory is the unpeated single malt of the island's sole distillery. Its history is famously broken, with long silences; the buildings once held holiday lets and stored cheese.

Worked through the boil ball stills for an oily, fruity make, for the waxy, fruity spirit Tobermory is known for. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, soft oak that lets the waxy fruit lead. Long ageing brings a deeper waxy, fruity character and a mellow oak. Refill oak lets the fruity, waxy Tobermory character lead. A rare, more heavily peated make has appeared under the name Iona, after a neighbouring isle. In dry summers the distillery has paused when its hill loch ran low. The distillery sits at the head of the bay, beneath a steep wooded hill. Both malts feed the Scottish Leader and Black Bottle blends as well as single malt.

At an approachable 46% it is balanced. A fruity, waxy sweetness, and the refill bourbon lends a quiet vanilla. A baked apple and a nutty note lift it. A long, oily finish ends on orchard fruit. This is a waxy, fruity island single malt.