Tomatin 16 Years Old (Original Collection)

Bottled by Cadenhead's, this Tomatin matured to 16 year old from 2009 and bottled at 46%. Founded in 1897 high in the Monadhliath hills, Tomatin makes a soft, fruity Highland single malt. 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. A sherry cask wrapped the soft spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Past a decade the fruit deepens into honey, apple and a soft spice. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the fruity, malty core over time. The distillery sits beside the A9, the old road north to Inverness. Cu Bocan focuses on unusual cask finishes, from sherry to wine and beyond. Tomatin stands at over three hundred metres, among the highest in the land. An old cattle drovers' road ran through Tomatin, and whisky was made here long before the distillery.

At 46% it is supple and fruity. Apple, vanilla and a light spice, and the Manzanilla adds a dry, saline, nutty edge. 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.