Tomatin 9 Years Old 2011 Cask #308 (Jack Wiebers Whisky World)

This Tomatin was from the independent bottler Jack Wiebers Whisky World, a 9 year old release from 2011, drawn from cask 308 and bottled at 58%. A release of 154 bottles. 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 run through the distillery's onion stills after a long fermentation, to build a fruity, gently spiced character. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla and a soft apple. At a youthful age the orchard fruit is lively and the malt soft. The long fermentation lays down the fruit the cask then frames. 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.

Bottled at a cask strength 58%, it is rich. Orchard fruit and a gentle malt, and the bourbon cask adds vanilla and a gentle sweetness. It is gentle and fruity, the soft spirit shining through. A fruity, lightly spiced finish lingers. This is Tomatin, the fruity Highland malt.