Tomatin Wood

A distillery bottling of Tomatin, bottled at 46%. Only 6000 bottles were released. Set in the Highland hills south of Inverness, Tomatin has made single malt since 1897. By 1974 Tomatin ran twenty three stills and was the largest malt distillery in Scotland.

It was made in copper stills from unpeated barley, for a fruity, mellow make. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, soft oak that lets the fruit lead. No age is given, but the soft fruit marks it as Tomatin. Dunnage and racked warehousing on site gives a steady maturation. The arrival of the Highland Railway in the 1890s made the distillery possible. It closed in 1906 and reopened in 1909, finding its feet over the following decades. The Antiquary blend came into the group through the blender J and W Hardie. Malt is bought in, the distillery's own floor maltings having closed in the 1980s. For most of its life the distillery rarely ran to its full capacity.

At 46% it is gentle, fruity and mellow. Pear, honey and a malty note, and the oak lends vanilla and a soft sweetness. A dried fruit and a soft oak give it depth. Apple, honey and a soft oak see out the finish. This is a mellow Highland single malt from near Inverness.