Tomatin 20 Years Old 2003 Cask #2381 (Connoisseurs Choice)

From Gordon & MacPhail comes this Tomatin, aged 20 year old from 2003, drawn from cask 2381 and bottled at 55.8%. 187 bottles in all. Set in the Highland hills south of Inverness, Tomatin has made single malt since 1897. 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. A refill bourbon cask held it, keeping the fruit to the fore. Long ageing brings a deeper dried fruit character and a soft oak spice. The mellow make leans on the cask for much of its colour and flavour. 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. Tomatin stands at over three hundred metres, among the highest in the land.

At a natural 55.8% it is full and fruity. A soft, fruity sweetness, and the ex-Bourbon lends vanilla and a soft honey. The texture is soft and round, the fruit lifted by honey. The finish runs gentle, fruity and mellow. This is a fruity Highland single malt from the Monadhliath hills.