Tomatin 16 Years Old 2001 Cask #1153 (The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd.)

From The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd comes this Tomatin matured to 16 year old from 2001, drawn from cask 1153 and bottled at 52.5%. Just 320 bottles were filled. Tomatin is the soft, fruity Highland malt of a distillery founded in 1897 near Inverness. It was bought in 1986 by Takara Shuzo of Japan, the first Scotch distillery in Japanese hands.

Drawn off copper pot stills fed by the burn of the deer, for a soft, apple and pear scented spirit. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla and a soft apple. Mid age brings a deeper honey and a riper orchard fruit. The mellow make leans on the cask for much of its colour and flavour. 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.

At a full 52.5% it is bold yet fruity. A soft, fruity sweetness, and ex-Bourbon oak gives vanilla and a light apple. A dried fruit and a soft oak give it depth. Apple, honey and a soft oak see out the finish. This is a fruity Highland single malt from the Monadhliath hills.