Tomatin 37 Years Old 1965 Cask #20948 (Hart Brothers)

Bottled by Hart Brothers, this Tomatin, a 37 year old Highland malt from 1965, drawn from cask 20948 and bottled at 47.2%. Just 196 bottles were filled. Tomatin is a Highland single malt distilled in the hills south of Inverness, where the distillery was founded in 1897. 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. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla beneath the orchard fruit. At this great age the malt is full and mellow, the fruit deep and the oak soft. The long fermentation lays down the fruit the cask then frames. 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.

At cask strength 47.2% it is full bodied. Orchard fruit and a gentle malt, and the refill bourbon lends a quiet vanilla. 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.