Tomatin 15 Years Old 1990 Friends of Malt Port (Getränke-Weiser)

This Tomatin was from the independent bottler Getränke-Weiser, a 15 year old release from 1990 and bottled at 46.8%. 189 bottles in all. Tomatin is the soft, fruity Highland malt of a distillery founded in 1897 near Inverness. The distillery was founded in 1897 by a local company, taking its name from the village, Gaelic for hill of the juniper.

The spirit was distilled slowly for the soft, fruity Tomatin make, building the approachable Tomatin style. 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 slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the fruity, malty core over time. 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 46.8% it is gentle, fruity and mellow. Apple, vanilla and a light spice, and the refill bourbon lends a quiet vanilla. Beneath it run apple, pear and a soft spice. It closes soft, fruity and warm. This is Tomatin, the fruity Highland malt.