Tomatin 2011 IN2S (IN2Spirit (IN2S))

IN2Spirit (IN2S) bottled this Tomatin, aged 11 year old from 2011, drawn from cask 130 and bottled at 55.1%. Just 180 bottles were filled. Set in the Highland hills south of Inverness, Tomatin has made single malt since 1897. 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. A refill bourbon cask held it, keeping the fruit to the fore. At this age the spirit is fresh and fruity, apple and pear bright. Sherry wood suits the soft make, lending dried fruit and a nutty depth. 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 cask strength 55.1% it is full bodied. Pear, honey and a malty note, and the oak lends vanilla and a soft sweetness. The mouthfeel is soft, the fruit carried on a mellow body. A long, honeyed finish carries a fruity lift. This is a gentle, fruity Highland single malt.