Tomatin 20 Years Old 1994 Cask #HL 11143 (Old Malt Cask)

Hunter Laing selected this Tomatin, a 20 year old release from 1994, drawn from cask HL 11143 and bottled at 50%. A release of 233 bottles. Tomatin is the soft, fruity Highland malt of a distillery founded in 1897 near Inverness. Cu Bocan takes its name from a spectral hound said to haunt the Tomatin hills.

Drawn off copper pot stills fed by the burn of the deer, for a soft, apple and pear scented spirit. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla and a soft apple. At this age it is rounded and mellow, the fruit folded into a honeyed body. The cool, high Highland climate gives a slow, even maturation. Under Japanese stewardship the focus turned from sheer volume to quality. The very long fermentation is central to the distillery's fruity character. 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.

Undiluted at 50%, it is layered. A soft, fruity sweetness, and honeyed vanilla comes through from the ex-Bourbon. 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.