Tomatin 36 Years Old Cask #Batch 2

A distillery bottling of Tomatin matured to 36 year old, drawn from cask Batch 2 and bottled at 46%. Only 800 bottles were released. Tomatin is the soft, fruity Highland malt of a distillery founded in 1897 near Inverness. Water comes from the Allt na Frithe, the burn of the deer, in the Monadhliath hills.

It was made in copper stills from unpeated barley, for a fruity, mellow make. A sherry cask wrapped the soft spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Very old Tomatin turns soft and profound, the fruit deep and the oak polished. Dunnage and racked warehousing on site gives a steady maturation. 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. 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.

At an easy 46% it is light. Pear, honey and a malty note, and raisin and a nutty sherry depth build. 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.