Tobermory 20 Years Old 1995 Cask #1076 (Rest & be Thankful Whisky Company)

Single malt Tobermory, selected and bottled by Rest & be Thankful Whisky Company, a 20 year old release from 1995, drawn from cask 1076 and bottled at 54.7%. Only 250 bottles were released. Tobermory is the unpeated single malt of Mull's only distillery, founded in 1798 in the island's painted harbour town. The distillery makes two malts: the unpeated Tobermory and the peated Ledaig.

It was worked through the boil ball stills for an oily, fruity make, for the waxy, fruity spirit Tobermory is known for. A refill bourbon cask held it, keeping the fruit to the fore. At this age it is rich and oily, the fruit folded into a waxy, honeyed body. Coastal warehousing lends a mineral edge to the fruity malt. Water is drawn from a private hill loch, the Gearr Abhainn, above the town. Its painted home town gives the unpeated malt its name. A rare, more heavily peated make has appeared under the name Iona, after a neighbouring isle.

At a full 54.7% it is intense and layered. A fruity, waxy sweetness, and vanilla and a soft oak come from the bourbon wood. A baked apple and a nutty note lift it. The finish is deep, waxy and nutty. This is a waxy, fruity island single malt.