Tomatin 28 Years Old 1990 Cask #10206 (Connoisseurs Choice)

Gordon & MacPhail bottled this Tomatin, a 28 year old Highland malt from 1990, drawn from cask 10206 and bottled at 50.1%. Just 263 bottles were filled. Tomatin is a Highland single malt distilled in the hills south of Inverness, where the distillery was founded in 1897. 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. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla beneath the orchard fruit. At over thirty years it is rich and mellow, tropical fruit, honey and old oak. Sherry wood suits the soft make, lending dried fruit and a nutty depth. The very long fermentation is central to the distillery's fruity character. The distillery sits beside the A9, the old road north to Inverness. 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.

At its natural 50.1% it is concentrated. Pear, honey and a malty note, and the refill bourbon lends a quiet vanilla. The mouthfeel is soft, the fruit carried on a mellow body. A long, honeyed finish carries a fruity lift. This is a gentle, fruity Highland single malt.