Tomatin 15 Years Old 2009 Cask #1438 (Connoisseurs Choice)

This is a Tomatin, chosen and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, aged 15 year old from 2009, drawn from cask 1438 and bottled at 52.8%. Only 207 bottles were released. Set in the Highland hills south of Inverness, Tomatin has made single malt since 1897. Water comes from the Allt na Frithe, the burn of the deer, in the Monadhliath hills.

It was run through the distillery's onion stills after a long fermentation, to build a fruity, gently spiced character. 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 soft, fruity spirit takes cask character readily across maturation. 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. Malt is bought in, the distillery's own floor maltings having closed in the 1980s.

At a hearty 52.8% it carries real weight. Orchard fruit and a gentle malt, and the refill bourbon lends a quiet vanilla. A baked apple and a gentle spice lift it. It finishes soft, fruity and clean. This is the softer side of the Highlands.