Tomatin 12 Years Old 2011 Cask #119 (Archives)

This Tomatin was from the independent bottler Archives, aged 12 year old from 2011, drawn from cask 119 and bottled at 58.6%. The outturn was 210 bottles. Set in the Highland hills south of Inverness, Tomatin has made single malt since 1897. The core is unpeated, with peated spirit made one week a year and bottled as Cu Bocan.

The spirit was distilled slowly for the soft, fruity Tomatin make, building the approachable Tomatin style. It was matured in ex-Bourbon oak, lending vanilla and a soft honey. By this age the soft spirit rounds into orchard fruit and a gentle oak. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the fruity, malty core over time. Special releases like Decades and Warehouse 6 have marked the distillery's milestones. Cold, clean water runs down to the distillery from the hills above. Under Japanese stewardship the focus turned from sheer volume to quality. The very long fermentation is central to the distillery's fruity character.

At a hearty 58.6% it carries real weight. Apple, vanilla and a light spice, and vanilla and a soft oak come from the bourbon wood. Beneath it run apple, pear and a soft spice. It closes soft, fruity and warm. This is Tomatin, the fruity Highland malt.