Tomatin 13 Years Old 2008 Cask #746 (Lady of the Glen)

This is a Tomatin, chosen and bottled by Lady of the Glen, a 13 year old from 2008, drawn from cask 746 and bottled at 58.2%. 270 bottles in all. Tomatin, founded in 1897 in the Highland village of the same name, was once Scotland's largest malt distillery. 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. Ex-Sherry wood added a dried fruit richness to the soft make. Past a decade the fruit deepens into honey, apple and a soft spice. The soft, fruity spirit takes cask character readily across maturation. The Antiquary blend came into the group through the blender J and W Hardie. Malt is bought in, the distillery's own floor maltings having closed in the 1980s. For most of its life the distillery rarely ran to its full capacity. The make is light and fruity, easy to like and easy to drink.

At cask strength 58.2% it is full bodied. Orchard fruit and a gentle malt, and sherried dried fruit and a nutty edge come through. Beneath it run apple, pear and a soft spice. It closes soft, fruity and warm. This is the softer side of the Highlands.