Tomatin 13 Years Old 2011 Chairman’s Stock (Cadenhead’s)

Bottled by Cadenhead's, this Tomatin, aged 13 year old from 2011 and bottled at 50.2%. Just 204 bottles were filled. Set in the Highland hills south of Inverness, Tomatin has made single malt since 1897. Cu Bocan takes its name from a spectral hound said to haunt the Tomatin hills.

Worked through onion stills for a light, fruity spirit, for the soft, fruity Highland make Tomatin is known for. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla beneath the orchard fruit. Around the mid teens the malt gains a fuller honey and ripe fruit. The unpeated spirit lets the wood and the fruit speak without smoke. 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. 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.

At a hearty 50.2% it carries real weight. A mellow, fruity character, 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.