Tomatin 17 Years Old 2008 Cask #25/050 (Connoisseurs Choice)

Gordon & MacPhail selected this Tomatin matured to 17 year old from 2008, drawn from cask 25/050 and bottled at 55%. The outturn was 318 bottles. Founded in 1897 high in the Monadhliath hills, Tomatin makes a soft, fruity Highland single malt. By 1974 Tomatin ran twenty three stills and was the largest malt distillery in Scotland.

It was made in copper stills from unpeated barley, for a fruity, mellow make. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the fruit. By this age the soft spirit rounds into orchard fruit and a gentle oak. Dunnage and racked warehousing on site gives a steady maturation. 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 55%, undiluted, it is deep and fruity. Pear, honey and a malty note, and the Oloroso adds figgy fruit and a warm nuttiness. A dried fruit and a soft oak give it depth. Apple, honey and a soft oak see out the finish. This is a mellow Highland single malt from near Inverness.