Tomatin 9 Years Old 1989 Cask #8384 / 8386 (Dun Eideann)

Dun Eideann selected this Tomatin, a 9 year old release from 1989, drawn from cask 8384 / 8386 and bottled at 60.5%. 552 bottles in all. Tomatin is the soft, fruity Highland malt of a distillery founded in 1897 near Inverness. Water comes from the Allt na Frithe, the burn of the deer, in the Monadhliath hills.

It was made in copper stills from unpeated barley, for a fruity, mellow make. It was matured in ex-Bourbon oak, lending vanilla and a soft honey. Still young, the malt is fruity and mellow with a gentle spice. Dunnage and racked warehousing on site gives a steady maturation. Cu Bocan focuses on unusual cask finishes, from sherry to wine and beyond. Tomatin stands at over three hundred metres, among the highest in the land. An old cattle drovers' road ran through Tomatin, and whisky was made here long before the distillery. The arrival of the Highland Railway in the 1890s made the distillery possible.

At a natural 60.5% it is full and fruity. Pear, honey and a malty note, and the bourbon cask adds vanilla and a gentle 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.