Tomatin 18 Years Old 2007 Cask #900227 (Best Dram)

Bottled by Best Dram, this Tomatin, an 18 year old from 2007, drawn from cask 900227 and bottled at 54.2%. Just 360 bottles were filled. Tomatin, founded in 1897 in the Highland village of the same name, was once Scotland's largest malt distillery. By 1974 Tomatin ran twenty three stills and was the largest malt distillery in Scotland.

It was run through the distillery's onion stills after a long fermentation, to build a fruity, gently spiced character. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the fruit. Mid age brings a deeper honey and a riper orchard fruit. The long fermentation lays down the fruit the cask then frames. Cold, clean water runs down to the distillery from the hills above. Under Japanese stewardship the focus turned from sheer volume to quality. The very long fermentation is central to the distillery's fruity character. The distillery sits beside the A9, the old road north to Inverness.

At cask strength 54.2% it is full bodied. Orchard fruit and a gentle malt, and the Pedro Ximenez lends raisin, date and treacle. Soft orchard fruit and honey sit behind the cask. The close is soft, fruit over gentle oak. This is Tomatin's soft, fruity Highland style.