Tomatin 36 Years Old 1983 A Rare Find (Gleann Mór)

From Gleann Mór comes this Tomatin, a 36 year old from 1983 and bottled at 48.9%. Tomatin, founded in 1897 in the Highland village of the same name, was once Scotland's largest malt distillery. 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 sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut. Decades leave it deep and gentle, candied fruit and a waxy honey with great age. Sherry wood suits the soft make, lending dried fruit and a nutty depth. 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. The make is light and fruity, easy to like and easy to drink. Special releases like Decades and Warehouse 6 have marked the distillery's milestones.

Undiluted at 48.9%, it is layered. Pear, honey and a malty note, and the Oloroso brings dried fruit, fig and a nutty depth. 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.