Tomatin 30 Years Old Cask #Batch 6

A distillery bottling of Tomatin, a 30 year old, drawn from cask Batch 6 and bottled at 46%. 3900 bottles in all. Set in the Highland hills south of Inverness, Tomatin has made single malt since 1897. A very long fermentation, among the longest in Scotch, builds the fruity character.

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. Very old Tomatin turns soft and profound, the fruit deep and the oak polished. The cool, high Highland climate gives a slow, even maturation. The arrival of the Highland Railway in the 1890s made the distillery possible. 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.

At 46% it is supple and fruity. A soft, fruity sweetness, and the refill bourbon lends a quiet vanilla. It is fruity and soft, the fruit and oak well matched. The finish is rounded, honeyed and gentle. This is a soft, approachable Highland malt.